Child cyclist accidents and cycling proficiency training

doi:10.1016/0001-4575(80)90038-X

Accident Analysis & Prevention

Volume 12, Issue 1, March 1980, Pages 31-40

https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-4575(80)90038-X Get rights and content

Abstract

An investigation of the effect of training children to ride pedal cycles was undertaken by asking school children to fill in questionnaires on their cycle training and accidents. Children who failed the cycling proficiency test had much higher accident rates than other children. Boys aged 10 and 11 years who had been trained and passed the cycling proficiency test had sliglftly lower accident rates than other boys, but this did not apply to girls. There were no other statistically significant differences in the accident rates, severity, or type of accidents, for boys or girls who had passed and those who never took the cycling proficiency test.

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Cited by (13)

Effects of cycle skills training on cycling-related knowledge, confidence and behaviour in adolescent girls
2018, Journal of Transport and Health
Cycle skills training (CST) improves children's cycling knowledge and skills. This study examined and compared the effects of short-term CST (1–10 weeks) with or without on-road training on cycling-related knowledge, confidence and behaviours in adolescent girls.
Girls (n = 117; age: 13.9 ± 0.7 years) participated in either playground-based CST only (Traffic-Free CST; n = 43) or combined playground-based and on-road CST (Traffic-Free+OnRoad CST; n = 74). Participants completed pre-training and post-training surveys about cycling-related knowledge, confidence and behaviour, and practical cycling skills assessment (fundamental and advanced skills). Data were analysed using paired t-test and McNemar tests.
At baseline, few adolescents cycled > 1/week (11.1%) or to school (2.6%). Both types of CST improved adolescents’ knowledge (Traffic-Free: 82.9 ± 13.0% to 88.9 ± 9.5%, p = 0.001; Traffic-Free+OnRoad: 85.9 ± 8.8% to 93.6 ± 6.4%, p < 0.001). Traffic-free CST improved adolescents’ confidence to cycle in the parks/playgrounds (very confident: 41.9% to 60.5%; p = 0.034). Traffic-Free+OnRoad CST increased adolescents’ confidence to cycle on the road (very confident: 41.9% to 54.1%; p = 0.013), but not to school (very confident: 25.4% to 31.5%; p = 0.146). Cycling habits and preferences did not change significantly after CST (all p > 0.05). Traffic-Free+OnRoad CST participants were competent in most fundamental (97.8 ± 7.6%) and advanced practical cycling skills (97.6 ± 5.7%), whereas Traffic-Free CST participants had lower scores in fundamental skills (81.4 ± 29.2%; p < 0.001).
CST with or without on-road training improved cycling-related knowledge but did not change cycling habits in adolescent girls. CST with on-road training improved adolescent girls’ confidence to cycle on the road, but not to school. Future CST programs should be tailored to the adolescents’ needs and preferences.
Effects of cycle skills training on children's cycling-related knowledge, confidence and behaviours
2018, Journal of Transport and Health
Citation Excerpt :
Children and adolescents in many developed countries have high rates of bicycle-related injuries (Candappa et al., 2012; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2015; Boufous et al., 2011; Ministry of Transport, 2015b). Rates of cycling-related crashes and/or collisions were even higher among children with inadequate cycle skills compared to their peers with adequate cycling skills (Preston, 1980). Considering that parental confidence in the child's cycle skills is one of the determinants of the rates of cycling to school (Trapp et al., 2011; Ducheyne et al., 2012) and mediates the relationship between parental perceptions of safety and children's cycling behaviours (Trapp et al., 2011), development of children's and adolescents’ cycling skills is also an important strategy to help minimize parental safety concerns and increase rates of cycling for transportation in young people.
Cycle skills training (CST) in a traffic free and light traffic environment is a promising approach to improve children's cycling-related skills and knowledge. This study examined the effects of short-term CST on children's cycling-related knowledge, confidence and behaviours.
Children (n = 429; 11.0 ± 0.9 years; 52.1% boys; 3 schools) participated in either playground-based CST (Traffic-Free CST; n = 164) or playground-based plus on-road CST (Traffic-Free+OnRoad CST; n = 265) in Dunedin, New Zealand in 2015–2016. Children completed pre-training and post-training surveys and practical skills assessment. Data were analysed using McNemar tests and paired t-tests.
At baseline, 36.6% of children cycled ≥1/week, 7.7% cycled to school and 40.3% preferred cycling to school. Both types of CST significantly improved children's cycling-related knowledge (Traffic-Free: 80.8 ± 10.8% to 90.8 ± 10.3%; Traffic-Free+OnRoad: 84.2 ± 9.4% to 95.0 ± 5.9%; both p < 0.001) and self-perceived confidence to cycle in the parks/playgrounds (Traffic-Free: 61.3% to 74.8%, p = 0.001; Traffic-Free+OnRoad: 81.1% to 90.6%, p < 0.001) and on the road (Traffic-Free: 25.3% to 38.8%, p = 0.010; Traffic-Free+OnRoad: 51.7% to 67.4%, p < 0.001) but not to school (Traffic-Free: 46.9% to 50.5%, p = 0.791; Traffic-Free+OnRoad: 72.1% to 70.3%, p = 0.029). Cycling habits and preferences did not change significantly after CST with the exception of increased rate of cycling to school after Traffic-Free+OnRoad CST (10.6% to 12.5%).
CST with or without on-road training improved children's cycling-related knowledge, and self-perceived confidence to cycle on playgrounds and on the road but not to school. Traffic-Free+OnRoad CST had positive but small effects on increasing cycling to school. Additional interventions targeting parents, schools and built environment changes may be necessary for behavioural change.
Parental perceptions of cycle skills training for adolescents
2017, Journal of Transport and Health
Citation Excerpt :
High rates of bicycle-related injuries have been reported among adolescents in the United States (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2015), European Union (Candappa et al., 2012), Australia (Boufous et al., 2011) and New Zealand (Ministry of Transport 2015). Much higher accident rates have been observed in children with inadequate cycle skills compared to other children, even though they may cycle less frequently (Preston, 1980). Parental perceptions of safety play an important role in the uptake of cycling among children (Ducheyne et al., 2012) and adolescents (Woldeamanuel 2016).
Traffic safety is a key concern regarding cycling for transportation. Parental perceptions of adolescents’ cycle skills may influence the uptake of cycling for transportation among adolescents. This study examined parental perceptions of cycle skills training (CST) for New Zealand adolescents where rates of adolescents’ cycling for transportation are low.
Parents (n=310; age: 47.7±5.3 years; 77.7% females) of adolescents (age: 15.1±1.6 years; 51.0% females) from Dunedin (New Zealand) completed a survey about travel to school habits and parental perceptions of cycling to school, their adolescent's cycling skills, and CST (perceived benefits and provision of CST at school). Data were analysed using linear mixed models.
More than half of parents perceived that their adolescents had very good or excellent cycling skills (57.8%). Overall, 73.2% of parents believed their adolescents would benefit from CST and of those parents 74.5% believed their adolescents would take CST at school. In a multivariate analysis, parental perceptions that cycling to school is important and unsafe, and having fewer vehicles at home were positively associated with parental perceptions that CST would make adolescents safer in traffic (all p<.05).
Nearly three-quarters of parents perceived that their adolescents would benefit from participation in CST. Parental perceptions that cycling to school is important and unsafe, and having fewer vehicles at home were associated with favourable parental perceptions of CST for adolescents. Future interventions should also involve parents and consider offering CST in secondary schools as a part of the efforts to promote active transport to school.
Attitudes towards cycle skills training in New Zealand adolescents
2016, Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour
Citation Excerpt :
Cycling in traffic also requires cognitive skills and considerable alertness for the successful selection of task-relevant information in complex traffic situations (Ellis, 2014). Children with inadequate cycle skills have much higher accident rates compared to other children, even though they may cycle less frequently (Preston, 1980). Moreover, parental confidence in the child’s cycle skills is one determinant of cycling to school levels in children (Ducheyne, De Bourdeaudhuij, Spittaels, & Cardon, 2012; Trapp et al., 2011) and mediates the association between parental perceptions of safety and cycling in children (Trapp et al., 2011).
Cycle skills training (CST) increases cycling skills in children. Whether CST could be beneficial to adolescents and whether adolescents would be interested in taking on such training remains unknown. This study examined correlates of adolescents’ perception that CST could make them safer in traffic.
A total of 1453 adolescents (age: 15.1 ± 1.4 years; 44.9% boys) from 12 secondary schools in Dunedin (New Zealand) participating in the BEATS Study completed an online survey in 2014–2015. Questions assessed demographics, travel to school habits, attitudes towards cycling and CST, normative beliefs, perceived behavioural control and behavioural intention for cycling to school. Data were analysed using linear mixed models.
Out of 38.5% of adolescents who perceived that CST could make them safer in traffic, nearly half would take CST at their school (43.1%). In a multivariate analysis, enjoying cycling for recreation, perceiving cycling to school as being useful, cycling frequently with parents, school’s encouragement, and desire to cycle to school were positively associated with adolescents’ perception that CST could make them safer in traffic (all p < .05).
Enjoyment of cycling for recreation, finding cycling to school useful, desire to cycle to school, frequent cycling with parents, and encouragement from schools were associated with favourable perceptions of CST in adolescents. Therefore, raising adolescents’ awareness of the benefits of CST and potentially offering such training in secondary schools could be beneficial. Future interventions should involve parents and schools and aim to increase adolescents’ interest in taking CST at school.
Effects of a cycle training course on children's cycling skills and levels of cycling to school
2014, Accident Analysis and Prevention
Citation Excerpt :
Within these training programs children learn to control their bicycle (i.e., mounting and dismounting, cycling in a straight line, signaling, braking). Some studies investigated the effectiveness of cycle training on child cycling accidents (Preston, 1980; Colwell and Culverwell, 2002). However, cycling accidents occur too infrequently to be used as the criterion of evaluation (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 1986; Colwell and Culverwell, 2002).
The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate the short- and longer-term effects of a cycle training on children's cycling skills. A second aim of the study was to examine the effects of a cycle training, with and without parental involvement, on levels of cycling to school and on parental attitudes towards cycling.
Three participating schools were randomly assigned to the “intervention” (25 children), the “intervention plus parent” (34 children) or “control” condition (35 children). A cycle training (four sessions of 45 min) took place only in the intervention schools. Parents in the “intervention plus parent” condition were asked to assist their child in completing weekly homework tasks. Children's cycling skills were assessed, using a practical cycling test. All participating children also received a short parental questionnaire on cycling behavior and parental attitudes towards cycling. Assessments took place at baseline, within 1 week after the last session and at 5-months follow-up. Repeated measure analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of the cycle training.
Children's total cycling skill score increased significantly more from pre to post and from pre to 5-months follow-up in the intervention group than in the control group. On walking with the bicycle (F = 1.6), cycling in a straight line (F = 2.6), cycling a slalom (F = 1.9), cycling over obstacles (F = 2.1), cycling on a sloping surface (F = 1.7) and dismounting the bicycle (F = 2.0), the cycle training had no effect. For all other cycling skills, significant improvements were observed on short- and longer-term. No significant intervention effects were found on children's cycling to school levels (F = 1.9) and parental attitudes towards cycling.
The cycle training course was effective in improving children's cycling skills and the improvements were maintained 5 months later. However, the cycle training course was not effective in increasing children's cycling to school levels.
Does a cycle training course improve cycling skills in children?
2013, Accident Analysis and Prevention
Citation Excerpt :
About 21% of all bicycle-related deaths and roughly 50% of all bicycle-related injuries were related to children (5–14 years) (National SAFE KIDS Campaign, 2004). Studies analyzing child cycling accidents found that a high percentage of these accidents were considered to be the cyclists’ fault (Preston, 1980; Simpson and Mineiro, 1992; The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, 2011). It was found that children often lose control of their bicycle without another vehicle being involved.
The aim of this study was to determine the short-term effects of cycle training on basic cycling skills in children from the 4th grade of elementary school. Furthermore, the influence of gender, socio-economic status (SES) and initial cycling skills level on the effects of the cycle training was investigated.
Five participating schools were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 3) or control condition (n = 2). Children's cycling skills were assessed, using a practical cycling test, at baseline and immediately after the intervention. At baseline, all participating children received a short parental questionnaire on child's demographic and family factors. After the pre-test, cycle training took place only in the intervention schools. Repeated measure analyses were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the cycle training.
The cycle training had a statistically significant effect on children's total cycling skill (F = 46.9, p < 0.001). On mounting the bicycle and start to cycle (F = 2.6, p = 0.11), cycling one handed (F = 2.0, p = 0.16), and cycling on a sloping surface (F = 1.5, p = 0.23), no statistically significant effects were detected. On all other cycling skills, time × condition interaction effects were statistically significant. Gender, SES and initial cycling skills level had no significant influence on the effects of the cycle training.
This study showed that a cycle training of only three sessions was effective to improve children's cycling skills at short term and that cycle training within a traffic-free environment seems to be a useful first step in the development of safe cycling behaviors.

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Child cyclist accidents and cycling proficiency training

Abstract

Cycling in Greater Manchester

Report to the Greater Manchester Council

Children and Cycling