Background Road traffic injury has been a second leading cause of death in children unintentional injuries in China. Little is known about on bicycle injury in rural China. This study aims to investigate the perception of students, parents and teachers about children bicycle injury.

Methods Qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study. Criterion sampling. Data collected between April 2009 and June 2009 through semi-structured focus groups, with a topic guide. 104 participants (47 male/57 female) from Liangying County (n=68), Fuyang County (n=36), which in rural village of Chaoshan region, China, with three groups including student (n=45), teacher (n=37) and parent (n=22).

Results Participants described poor road conditions, safety hazards and great impact of road traffic injuries on children while they seldom suggest measures to prevent children bicycle injury. Perception of hazards appeared to be related to different groups. Parents and teachers described poorer road conditions than students, which they attributed to the low developed economics status and deficient supervision of local government. Informants believed that fast cycling speed, non-observance of traffic rules among children, lacking awareness of road safety among all road users left children go on threatening by bicycle injury. Parents and students also valued the quality of bicycle most.

Conclusions The road safety needs of children must be addressed at the adults level, while improving the enforcement of existing health and safety regulations. The roles that government supervision and improvements of road condition played in injury prevention should be considered.