Cyclist injuries summary: pre and post 1992 |
For the convenience of readers, this page provides a compilation of graphs, tables and other data from elsewhere on this site concerning cyclist injuries in Western Australia before and after 1992 bicycle helmet law enforcement. The basic legislative results for body and head injuries can be determined by scanning this page for about 10 minutes.
Below is a West Australian Health Department table showing the number and age-standardised rates of hospital admissions for injuries sustained in bicycle crashes from 1981 to 1995. Bicycle crashes
A study obtained by the ABC in December 2009 shows cycling injuries are being grossly under-estimated. The same study was also reported the following day by The Australian newspaper. The under-estimation of cyclist injuries by Australian authorities was reported six years earlier in Pedal cycle injuries in NSW: A comparison of data sources, published in the Dec 2003 issue of Road & Transport Research. Similar findings can be found in Emergency presentations by vulnerable road users: implications for injury prevention, published by the Injury Research Centre at the University of Western Australia. West Australian cyclist fatalities 1951-2008 *
Note: In the United Kingdom, cyclist deaths fell from 256 in 1990 to 114 in 2003 - a drop of 56%. The UK does not have mandatory bicycle helmet laws and people were not discouraged from cycling during the 1990s. In its April 1995 issue of Cycling in the West, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance of Western Australia writes: "Comparisons with data from previous years suggest that compulsory helmet legislation has not been nearly as successful as predicted in reducing the cyclist injury rate.". Pre and post law comparisons of WA serious head injuries and fatalities of cyclists (PDF 32kb) can be made based on the following data from the WA Morbidity Data Base given to the Legislative Assembly of the West Australian parliament on June 27 2000 by then WA Transport Minister Murray Criddle: WA adult cyclist serious head injuries - 5 year comparison pre law / with law Pre law - Average annual number of serious head injuries to WA adult cyclists aged 16 and over 1987/88 to 1991/92 = 18.4 With law - Average annual number of serious head injuries to WA adult cyclists aged 16 and over 1992/93 to 1995/96 = 14.8 This is a reduction of 19.5% (Bridge surveys show cyclist decline of 25-30%) WA juvenile cyclist serious head injuries - 5 year comparison pre law / with law Pre law - Average annual number of serious head injuries to WA juvenile cyclists aged 15 or under 1987/88 to 1991/92 = 13.8 With law - Average annual number of serious head injuries to WA juvenile cyclists aged 15 or under 1992/93 to 1995/96 = 9.6 This is a reduction of 30.5% (more than 50% decline in schoolchildren cycling from 91 to 96 according to Bikewest) WA adult cyclist fatalities - 7 year comparison pre law / with law Pre law - Average annual number of fatalities to WA adult cyclists aged 16 and over 1985/86 to 1991/92 = 4.2 With law - Average annual number of fatalities to WA adult cyclists aged 16 and over 1992/93 to 1998/99 = 4.7 This is an increase of 12% (Bridge surveys show cyclist decline of 25-30%) WA juvenile cyclist fatalities - 7 year comparison pre law / with law Pre law - Average annual number of fatalities to WA juvenile cyclists aged 15 or under 1985/86 to 1991/92 = 3.2 With law - Average annual number of fatalities to WA juvenile cyclists aged 15 or under 1992/93 to 1998/99 = 1.4 This is a reduction of 55% (more than 50% decline in schoolchildren cycling from 91 to 96 according to Bikewest / figures skewed by 9 deaths in 85/86)
Western Australia, 1981-1995 |
| Site | Injury1 | 1981-1983 | 1984-1986 | 1987-1989 | 1990-1992 | 1993-1995 | Total |
| Head | |||||||
| Skull fractures | 3.4 | 5.6 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 3.9 | |
| Facial | 6.9 | 9.1 | 11.6 | 11.5 | 10.6 | 10.0 | |
| Intracranial | 38.0 | 35.3 | 27.1 | 22.3 | 21.2 | 28.6 | |
| Other head | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 1.3 | |
| Total | 49.5 | 51.2 | 45.2 | 38.7 | 35.0 | 43.7 | |
| Non-Head | |||||||
| Spinal | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.7 | |
| Lower limb fractures | 11.1 | 10.1 | 11.2 | 11.0 | 10.4 | 10.8 | |
| Upper limb fractures | 15.7 | 14.7 | 16.4 | 22.9 | 28.6 | 19.8 | |
| All other fractures2 |
0.7 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.2 | |
| Dislocations/ sprains |
1.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.5 | |
| Superficial | 13.2 | 13.8 | 15.7 | 14.8 | 13.1 | 14.1 | |
| Internal | 2.9 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.4 | |
| Other | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 5.8 | |
| Total | 50.5 | 48.8 | 54.8 | 61.3 | 65.0 | 56.3 |
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The actual number of intracranial injuries was 423 in 1990-1992 and 403 in 1993-1995 (-4.8%). The estimated percentage of West Australian cyclists wearing helmets increased from 39% in 1991 to 77% in 1995. The decline in skull fractures in the three years after helmet law enforcement amounts to an average seven per year. The decline in intracranial injuries in the three years after helmet law enforcement also amounts to an average seven per year. That's an average 14 less head injuries per year from a total bike ownership of more than 750,000 West Australians, and with tens of thousands of people giving up cycling after the law was enforced. The number of head injuries fell marginally after helmet law enforcement. However, upper limb fractures rose sharply. Cyclist upper extremity injuries in Western Australia increased from 118 (16.9% of all injury locations) in 1988 to 274 (32.2%) in 1998. Research by McDermott et al. (Trauma, 1993, p834-841) found a significant increase in neck injuries for helmet wearers. 3.3% of unhelmeted riders sustained neck injuries while 5.7% of helmeted riders sustained neck injuries - a 75% greater risk among helmet wearers. The study compared 366 helmeted riders and 1344 non helmeted riders admitted to hospital in the Australian state of Victoria before helmets were mandatory.
* No neck injuries because cyclists with a neck injury also sustained injury of the same severity to a higher ranking body region.
Average length of hospital stay1 by nature of injury
Western Australia, 1981-1995
West Australian Health Department data allows a comparison of injury rates during the three years before and the three years after all-age mandatory bicycle helmet law enforcement in 1992. Following is a summary of the Health Department data linked above, showing actual and averaged numbers of hospitalised cyclist injury types in Western Australia on an annual basis:
Skull fractures 89/90/91 - 75 ( = average 25 per year)
Facial 89/90/91 - 198 ( = average 66 per year)
Intracranial 89/90/91 - 458 ( = average 152 per year)
Other head 89/90/91 - 36 ( = average 12 per year)
Spinal 89/90/91 - 23 ( = average 8 per year)
Lower limb fractures 89/90/91 - 220 ( = average 73 per year)
Upper limb fractures 89/90/91 - 388 ( = average 129 per year)
All other fractures 89/90/91 - 29 ( = average 10 per year)
Dislocations/sprains 89/90/91 - 30 ( = average 10 per year)
Superficial 89/90/91 - 307 ( = average 102 per year)
Internal 89/90/91 - 44 ( = average 15 per year)
Other 89/90/91 - 116 ( = average 39 per year)
Total 89/90/91 - 1924 ( = average 641 per year)
Age-standardised rates of hospital admissions for injuries sustained in bicycle and vehicle crashes 
See Analysis of Road Crash Statistics Western Australia 1990 to 1999 (PDF 384kb)
1980 - 32,054 The above figures suggest that despite stricter drink driving laws introduced nationally in 1991, lower speed limits and tougher penalties, something happened in the early 1990s that reversed a previously steady decline in road trauma. Was it population? Below are ATSB figures on seriously injured casualties per 100,000 population across Australia: 1980 - 218.1 Mandatory bicycle helmet laws were enforced across Australia in different states from 1990 to 1992, resulting in an approximate 30% decline in public cycling participation. Many discouraged cyclists instead have driven their cars since 1990, each adding an extra tonne of high speed metal to Australian roads with a consequent increase in risk to all road users including car occupants, pedestrians and cyclists. In New Zealand, injuries to all other road users also show an anomalous increase in 1994 when mandatory helmet legislation was enforced, following a 10 year downturn, although the downturn resumed from 1996 to 2000. See chart below.
In a jointly-sponsored report published in August 2010, the Australian Local Government Association, the Bus Industry Confederation, the Cycling Promotion Fund, the National Heart Foundation of Australia and the International Association of Public Transport estimate that government encouragement of active transport such as cycling, walking and public transport could save 16,000 lives a year with annual Australian health-care savings of more than $1.5 billion a year. Home Page
Western Australia cyclist numbers
Helmet law research
Helmet law research before law
Different Australian States Helmet law in New Zealand Helmet law in Canada Helmet law in England Australia's health crisis Australia's obesity crisis Child cycling Bike accidents 1987-1996 Social impact Second-hand helmets Prison penalties WA injury severity Football helmets
Government deceit
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