New IHE publication on the consequences of bicycle accidents shows similar outcomes between bicycle accident, pedestrian accidents and motor vehicle accidents
Between 2014 and 2016, IHE, in collaboration with Lars Hultkrantz at Örebro University, performed a study of personal injury costs and losses in quality of life in connection with a road traffic accident and in connection with a pedestrian accident. The purpose of this study is to estimate the personal injury costs and quality of life loss in connection with a bicycle accident and compare with the consequences of a pedestrian accident and other road traffic accidents.
The study is based on the same data that was used in the previous study, which includes a registry study of the 2013 traffic injuries in Strada (police and hospital-reported injuries), a survey of traffic injuries at nine different emergency departments in 2014-2015 and a previous survey of a cross-section sample identified in Strada 2007/2010 conducted by Hans-Yngve Berg at the Transportstyrelsen. Data is divided by accident type and injury severity.
In 2013, about 43,000 injuries were registered in Strada. Bicycle accidents accounted for about 27%, while other road traffic accidents (mainly motor vehicle accidents) and pedestrian accidents accounted for 36% each. The average personal injury cost during the first six months after the accident amounted to SEK 34,703 for a bicycle accident, SEK 40,474 for a pedestrian accident and SEK 45,526 for a motor vehicle accident. The total loss of quality of life-adjusted life years (QALY) – i.e. from the accident until the person recovers or dies – was 1.7 QALY for a bicycle accident, 1.4 QALY for a pedestrian accident and 1.9 QALY for a motor vehicle accident.
The average bicycle accident and pedestrian accident give rise to almost as much personal injury cost and loss of quality of life as the average motor vehicle traffic accident.
This report is written in Swedish. If you want to know more about this study, please contact Sara Olofsson
Olofsson S, Welin K-O & Persson U. Konsekvenser av cykelolyckor – Personskadekostnad och livskvalitetsförlust jämfört med fotgängarolyckor och andra vägtrafikolyckor. IHE Rapport 2019:4, IHE: Lund, Sverige.