In-depth analysis of scenarios and injuries in crashes between cyclists and commercial vehicles in Germany

Despite the environmental and health benefits of cycling, nearly 41000 cyclists lose their lives each year. In Europe, cyclists made up 9% of all road fatalities in 2019, with no decline in cyclist deaths over the past decade. HGVs and buses present major risks, with HGVs responsible for 13% of cyclist fatalities in 2020, while buses accounted for 2%. To analyse cyclist crashes and enhance safety insights, this study examined collisions between cyclists and large vehicles (buses and HGVs) using data from the German In-Depth Accident Study (GIDAS). It analysed 98 bus-cyclist crashes and 295 HGV-cyclist crashes

Key findings

  • These crashes predominantly occur in urban areas, during daylight, on dry roads, and in clear weather.
  • Most cyclists involved are male. Those under 18 make up 26% of bus-related crashes but only 16% of HGV-related crashes.
  • Helmet usage was observed in 23% of cyclists in HGV collisions and 36% in bus collisions.
  • The most frequent crash scenarios for buses involve intersections, primarily crossing conflicts, followed by turning-off-a-road incidents.
  • Serious injuries (AIS3+) occur in approximately 7% of bus crashes and 15% of HGV crashes.
  • Bus collisions typically happen at speeds below 35 km/h, often resulting in head and lower extremity injuries due to impact with the bus or road. HGV crashes usually occur at speeds under 20 km/h, with head and thorax injuries primarily caused by cyclists being run over.

 

autoliv

Figure 1 Distribution of AIS3+ injured body regions and injury sources for buses (left) and HGVs (right)

 

Conclusion

HGVs and Buses causes serious injuries to cyclists during crash. The findings from this work provides detailed and actionable insights for manufacturers and agencies that can help to address safety concerns to make cycling safer.

This work has been published in the journal, Traffic Safety Research in October 2024 and it can be found in this link https://tsr.international/TSR/article/view/25777