Abstract
Growing environmental awareness and health consciousness, along with government initiatives, have contributed to the increasing popularity of bicycling as both a mode of transportation and a form of recreation. However, this increase in popularity has been accompanied by growing concerns about safety, particularly among elderly cyclists. Research in this area is challenging due to variations in cultural contexts, individual backgrounds, and statistical methodologies. This study addresses these challenges by integrating a discussion with an analysis of the occurrence ratio to systematically examine potential safety risks for elderly cyclists. The findings of the literature review indicate that elderly men and children are at a higher risk of injury while cycling, with falls being the most common cause and head injuries being the leading cause of fatalities. Furthermore, the analysis of the occurrence ratio of traffic accident data in Taiwan reveals that elderly cyclists are significantly more vulnerable to injuries, especially those involving the extremities. These findings suggest a need for further targeted research and policy efforts to address the specific safety risks faced by elderly cyclists.
Keywords
Bicycle; Elderly bicyclist; Safety
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.692
Citation
Tseng, K.C.(2025) Safety Risks of Elderly Bicyclists: A Systematic Review, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.692
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 9 - Healthcare Design
Safety Risks of Elderly Bicyclists: A Systematic Review
Growing environmental awareness and health consciousness, along with government initiatives, have contributed to the increasing popularity of bicycling as both a mode of transportation and a form of recreation. However, this increase in popularity has been accompanied by growing concerns about safety, particularly among elderly cyclists. Research in this area is challenging due to variations in cultural contexts, individual backgrounds, and statistical methodologies. This study addresses these challenges by integrating a discussion with an analysis of the occurrence ratio to systematically examine potential safety risks for elderly cyclists. The findings of the literature review indicate that elderly men and children are at a higher risk of injury while cycling, with falls being the most common cause and head injuries being the leading cause of fatalities. Furthermore, the analysis of the occurrence ratio of traffic accident data in Taiwan reveals that elderly cyclists are significantly more vulnerable to injuries, especially those involving the extremities. These findings suggest a need for further targeted research and policy efforts to address the specific safety risks faced by elderly cyclists.