Citation

Winters M, Weddell A, Teschke K. Transp. Res. Rec. 2013; 2387: 35-45.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.3141/2387-05

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Countries with high cycling rates have national, school-based, mandatory cycling education programs; however, in North America, cycling education is diverse and disparate. The aim of this project was to understand what cycling safety content was delivered in Canadian jurisdictions and how training materials aligned with scientific evidence. Cycling safety literature was reviewed, and cycling education materials were compiled from drivers' licensing and cyclist education programs. The education materials were compared with the scientific evidence found in cycling safety literature to determine agreements, disagreements, or gaps. Fifty-six scientific articles focused on crash or injury risk, injury severity, or other safety outcomes and met the project's inclusion criteria. The evidence in these articles covered bicycling operations, visibility and safety gear, road characteristics, route types, and bicycle-motor vehicle interactions. Forty-eight training materials for cyclists, drivers, or both were gathered from 12 provincial and territorial driver's licensing jurisdictions, five municipalities, and seven advocacy organizations. Materials covered bicycle fit and maintenance, rules of the road, bicycle operations, visibility and safety gear, bicycle-motor vehicle interactions, route characteristics, and route types. Most education topics were supported by scientific evidence, except topics related to legislation or common sense. Evidence on motor vehicle passing distances conflicted with some educational material guidance about where to cycle on the road. A gap in the educational materials was the relative safety of different route infrastructure, important for route planning. This research illustrated the diversity of cycling education in Canada and revealed areas in which education materials could be modified to align with scientific evidence on safe cycling.