Toronto Study Highlights Underreporting of Cyclist and Pedestrian Injuries

In a recent study from Toronto’s York University that speaks to cyclists everywhere, researchers uncovered a significant gap in understanding the true scope of cyclist and pedestrian injuries. The findings, published in the journal Injury Prevention, suggest that relying solely on Toronto police data provides only a fraction of the picture.

Lead author Alison Macpherson, a professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science at York University, stressed the broader implications for healthcare systems and road safety planning.

“Relying on police data alone won’t give us the full story of cyclists and pedestrians injured on our streets,” Macpherson noted, in a statement to the CBC. “This study emphasizes the need for a more comprehensive approach, linking health services data with police reports to better inform road safety strategies.”

The study, which looked at a five-year period from 2016 to 2021, compared data from three sources: Toronto police, emergency room visits, and hospitalization records. The shocker? While Toronto police data reported 2,362 cyclist injuries during this time, health services data revealed a staggering 30,101 emergency department visits for cyclist injuries—whether or not a motor vehicle was involved.

Diving deeper, the study highlighted a notable underreporting trend in police data, especially for cyclists treated in the emergency department. Police data captured a mere 7.9% of all cycling injuries, painting a skewed picture of the actual risks faced by cyclists.

The study’s abstract underscored a concerning rise in cyclist injuries not involving motor vehicles since the start of the pandemic. ED visits for these incidents surged from 3,629 in 2019 to 5,459 in 2020, with hospital admissions following suit, increasing from 251 in 2019 to 430.

The implications stretch beyond Toronto’s borders and should resonate with bicyclists worldwide. The study brings to light the limitations of relying solely on police-reported data and advocates for a more nuanced approach to road safety planning. It challenges the status quo, asserting that a broader perspective, one that integrates health services data, is essential for an accurate understanding of the challenges faced by cyclists and pedestrians.

The study could serve as something of a call to action for cities and regions beyond Toronto, urging a reassessment of reliance on police data alone and embrace a more comprehensive, health-focused strategy.