An analysis of fatal bicycle accidents in victoria (Australia) with a special reference to nighttime accidents
✍ Scribed by Md. Mazharul Hoque
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 1990
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 750 KB
- Volume
- 22
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0001-4575
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✦ Synopsis
This paper examines the fatal bicycle accidents which occurred in the period 1981-1984 in Victoria with particular emphasis on nighttime fatalities. The examination provides information on aspects of accident location, environment, problem type, time, and cyclist characteristics. The relationship between actual accidents and cyclists perceived collision danger is also investigated. The characteristics of fatal bicycle accidents are different to those of overall "casualty" accidents. A difference also exists between day and night, and between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan fatal accidents. In the metropolitan area, adult cyclists over 17 years were over-involved in fatal accidents. The proportion of cyclists involved in fatalities at night increases with increase in age. Almost 80% of nighttime accidents occurred on links on arterial roads, and the majority in the high speed limit zones (75 kph and over). A greater proportion of accidents was initiated by cyclists. In 90% of nighttime cyclist fatalities the cyclist was hit from the rear, compared with 40% in daytime. Inadequacy of bicycle and street lighting was found to be an important factor in nighttime fatalities.
Location of accident: Intersection, link (mid-block). Road class: Metropolitan area-primary arterial, secondary arterial, collector road, local street; rest of Victoria-major road, minor road. Accident type: Bicycle accident typology developed by Cross and Fisher (1977). Time of accident: Time of day, day of week. Light condition: daylight, dark, dusk/dawn. Bicycle light details: Lighting devices on bicycles. Speed limit zones: Speed limit at accident location. Cyclist's age.
In this analysis nighttime accidents are treated as all accidents occurring in the periods nominated by dark and dusk/dawn.