600 kids go to ER for bike-related injuries daily: study

Columbus, OH — Bicycle-related injuries sent more than 2.2 million children between 5 and 17 years old to U.S. emergency rooms between 2006 and 2015, according to a recent study from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, researchers found that although the rate of bike-related injuries fell nearly 30 percent during the 10-year study period, about 600 kids per day are still getting hurt seriously enough to need medical attention. Boys (72 percent) and kids between the ages of 10 and 14 (46 percent) were the most frequently injured.

Other findings:

• Arms (36 percent), legs (25 percent), face (15 percent), and head and neck (15 percent) were the most commonly injured body parts.
• Bruises and scrapes (29 percent) and cuts (23 percent) were the most common types of injuries.
• Traumatic brain injuries represented 11 percent of the cases and were most common among kids 10 to 14 years old (44 percent).

“Wearing a helmet while riding a bike is the best way to decrease the risk of serious injuries,” senior study author Lara McKenzie said in a June 25 press release. “Take your children shopping for bike helmets so you can find ones that fit them and they can choose a style they like. They will be more likely to want to wear it.”

The study was published online May 26 in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention.