Cyclists are among the most vulnerable road users in collisions with motor vehicles. A fascinating study, Accident Reconstruction and Assessment of Cyclist’s Injuries Sustained in Car-to-Bicycle Collision (Raslavičius et al., 2017), digs into the biomechanics of these crashes and highlights some opportunities for safety improvements.
Here are the Cliffs Notes:
🚲 At 40 km/h, cyclists without helmets have a high chance of survival, but at 60 km/h, survival becomes unlikely.
🚲 The windscreen is a frequent site of head and torso impacts, often resulting in severe or life-threatening injuries.
🚲 Forces acting on the cyclist’s legs (particularly the tibia) often exceed safe thresholds, with right-leg injuries being more severe due to direct bumper impacts.
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