Bike and Pedestrian Injury

In 2001, 28 Canadian children aged 5 to 14 died from pedestrian injuries and 13 died from cycling injuries.
Source: Deaths, by cause – Chapter XX: External causes of morbidity and mortality (V01-Y98), age group and sex, Canada, 2001

In 1999/2000, 1,681 Canadian children aged 5 to 14 were injured as a result of cyclist crashes and collisions and 632 suffered from pedestrian injuries.
Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information

Unintentional bicycle injuries are the most common cause of brain injury in children.

• A fall of 60 cm (2 feet) can cause permanent brain damage.
• The human skull can be shattered by an impact of 7-10 km/hour (4.3-6.2 mph) and children’s skulls have the greatest vulnerability.
• Wearing a certified bicycle helmet reduces the risk of head injury by 83% and brain injury by 88%.
• Children are especially at risk of being in bicycle incidents. Eighty-five percent of these incidents occur within FIVE blocks from home!
• Those who survive unprotected bicycling brain injuries may suffer epilepsy, intellectual and memory impairment and personality changes.

Source: British Columbia Brain Injury Association

Certified bicycle helmets have been shown to reduce the risk of head and brain injury. As of December 2003, British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island all have legislation mandating the use of bicycle helmets.

A research study at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto looked at data on the 9,650 Canadian youth (5 to 19 years of age) hospitalized for bicycle-related injuries from 1994-1998. The results indicate that the bicycle-related head injury rate declined significantly (45% reduction) in provinces where legislation had been adopted compared to provinces and territories that did not adopt legislation (27% reduction).
Source: News from the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto (November 4, 2002)

According to CHIRPP* (representing 16 hospitals across Canada, mostly in urban centres), scooter injuries were most prevalent in the 8 to 13 year age range (76.4%). Almost two thirds of those injured were male.
*CHIRPP (The Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program) is a surveillance database collecting information on circumstance and outcome of injuries treated in the emergency departments of all 10 pediatric hospitals and 6 general hospitals across Canada.

Falling is the most common source of injury for cyclists. Most crashes do not involve a motor vehicle. Children are involved in fewer motor vehicle-bike collisions than adult cyclists. Collisions with motor vehicles cause the most deaths, however.
Source: Can-Bike website