Bicycle accidents: An analysis of the causes of single bicycle accidents in Stockholm

Abstract: Bicycling has many advantages. For example, it emits less noise compared to motor vehicles, it is environmentally friendly, and bicycling, as a means of transport, gives people exercise. To encourage bicycling in Sweden, the Swedish government has promoted policies and proposals on national and local levels. At the same time, several pieces of research on bicycle use in Sweden show that more people are bicycling now than 60 years ago. STRADA’s (Swedish Traffic Accident Data Acquisition) reports also show that most people who are severely injured in traffic are bicyclists, and that most bicycle accidents occur in urban and metropolitan areas.   Stockholm is a European city with a growing population. At the end of 2013 the population were 897 700    and it is predicted to grow by 25 % by 2030. The municipality of Stockholm is working on investment projects for bicyclists with the aim to increase accessibility and road safety such as special road safety measures at intersections that often aim at improving road conditions for both pedestrians and bicyclists, and better maintenance of bicycle paths, both in summers and winters. Critics and different debate articles about bicyclists` safety and accessibility point out that the investments that Stockholm municipality is making are not enough for meeting the growing population, especially for bicyclists.   The aim of this study is to analyse the causes of bicycle accidents in the city of Stockholm. To help answer the research questions stated below, statistics on bicycle accidents were extracted in Excel from Strada and compiled in Excel using the Excel tool PivotTable and Analysis Tool Pak. The questions investigated in the thesis are as follows: when and where are bicyclists most likely to suffer an accident, why does the accident occur, and what causes are behind bicycle accidents at the chosen place of investigation? Five categorisations on the causes of single bicycle accidents were used and these were: operations and maintenance, road design, bicycle interactions, cyclists’ behaviour and conditions, and interaction with other road users.    In addition to the above, a semi-structural qualitative interview was conducted with bicyclists who bicycle in or along the report's area of investigation. The results of this report show that single bicycle accidents in the investigated area have increased between 2010 and 2016, and that many bicyclists are not satisfied with the bicycle infrastructure in Stockholm.