CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUTHFUL BICYCLE RIDERS IN AN URBAN COMMUNITY AND EVENTS ACCRUING TO OPERATION OF THEIR VEHICLES

A STUDY OF YOUTHFUL BICYCLE RIDERS AND EVENTS ACCORDING TO EVERYDAY USE OF THEIR VEHICLES WAS CONDUCTED. THE SUBJECTS RANGING IN AGE FROM 6-19 YEARS, WERE CHOSEN IN A RANDOM MANNER. INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE SUBJECTS WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY A QUESTIONNAIRE THAT RECORDED DEMOGRAPHIC AND BICYCLE DESCRIPTION DATA AND INFORMATION WHICH PERMITTED CALCULATION OF BICYCLE OWNERSHIP RATES BY SEX. OF THE 2,369 QUESTIONNAIRES SENT TO ORIGINALLY CHOSEN SUBJECTS, 495 OR 21% WERE COMPLETED AND RETURNED. ACCIDENT DATA WERE ACCUMULATED THROUGH THREE LEVELS OF REPORTING: HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOMS, POLICE RECORDS AND A MONTHLY REPORT FORM THAT WAS SENT TO SUBJECTS WHO AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DATA COLLECTION PHASE OF THE STUDY. VARIABLES ANALYZED WERE: TYPE OF BICYCLE, SEX, AGE, AND RIDING EXPERIENCE. IT WAS PROPOSED THAT BICYCLE RIDING INSTRUCTIONS MIGHT BE ORGANIZED BY EXPERIENCE OF THE RIDER AS WELL AS BY MALE/FEMALE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION. /AUTHOR/