The scale of injuries to cyclists as a result of bicycles getting stuck in tram tracks on the Luas lines in Dublin is “a significant public health issue”, according to a new medical study.
A review of cyclists attending the emergency department in St James’s Hospital in Dublin over a two-year period found 48 patients had suffered injuries which were sustained when their bicycle wheel got caught in the on-road Luas tracks.
It identified the Luas tracks around College Green as a particular “black spot”, accounting for 46% of all incidents.
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Stephen’s Lane near Heuston Station and Dawson Street each accounted for 1 in 8 accident sites.
The study by a team of researchers found 60% of such patients had suffered a limb fracture with 14% requiring orthopaedic surgery.
Among the most serious injuries was a patient who suffered a broken hip and another who had part of their bicycle embedded in the soft tissue of their thigh.
A third of all injured cyclists sustained some type of head injury.
The study also revealed that 50% of the patients were not wearing a helmet at the time of the incident.
However, the researchers said the rate of non-wearing of a helmet could be even higher than 50% due to incomplete data on some patients.
More than half of all casualties (56%) sustained an upper limb injury with injuries to the shoulder, hand and elbow the most common, while a third suffered some form of injury to the lower limbs, mostly the knee.
The medical records showed that 54% of the collisions occurred around Dublin city centre during morning and evening rush hours.
Over 4 in 10 cyclists were brought to hospital by ambulance from the site of the accident.
Males accounted for 55% of the injured cyclists while 45% were female, while the median age of patients was 30 years.
The analysis also showed that a quarter of all patients suffered a soft tissue injury,
While many cycling forums and media outlets have anecdotally highlighted cycling crashes on the Luas tracks over the year, it is believed to be the first formal study into such collisions.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study of cycling injuries linked to the Luas tracks from patients who presented at St James’s emergency department between November 2017 and November 2019.
The findings, which are published in the Irish Journal of Medical Science, showed four cyclists required immediate orthopaedic surgery while three others were admitted for surgery from the fracture clinic.
One of the report’s authors, Olivia Smith, a member of the medical staff in St James’s emergency department, said such collisions appear to mainly occur while cyclists attempt to ride closely alongside the line of the track or to cross it at an acute angle instead of the recommended 90º angle.
“This audit demonstrates that cycling in and around tram track lines or crossing tram track lines in Dublin city has inherent dangers,” said Ms Smith.
The report said the type of injuries sustained by cyclists in such accidents had the potential to not only impact significantly on their day-to-day lives and their employment capability but also at a psychological level on injury outcome and ability to return to work.
Ms Smith pointed out that other studies had shown the wearing of a helmet while cycling was most beneficial in low speed falls and tumbles.
The study said its findings had identified definitive “black spots” within Dublin where cycling incidents crossing the Luas tracks were most frequent.
It said the area where the rail phalanges intersect may warrant closer examination and scrutiny with possible engineering solutions developed to avoid further injury in such black spots.
Ms Smith said crossing the Luas tracks at a direct 90 º angle would reduce the risk of a wheel getting caught.
However, she acknowledged that accurate manoeuvring across tram tracks in busy rush hour traffic could prove “challenging or impossible” at traffic-clogged intersections,
The report noted that the filling in of the grooves on the Luas tracks had been suggested but appeared to present engineering difficulties.
“Better signage to heighten awareness among cyclists of the dangers of cycling over tracks in these areas may also need to be considered,” it added.
The study observed that it had gathered data on just one of six adult emergency departments in Dublin city.
In addition, it said many cyclists are involved in incidents near Luas tracks who do not receive any medical attention or who visit their GP or a private minor injuries unit.
“Therefore it is possible the number of cyclists involved in tram track cycling injuries in Dublin city may be significantly higher than the number of incidents identified here,” it concluded.
The report recommended that further studies should be conducted across several hospitals including a follow-up of cyclists involved in such collisions to analyse the effect of tram track injuries on livelihood, occupation and employers.
It claimed the resources required to deal with such incidents could also be significant including the cost of emergency ambulance call-outs and the hospital resources needed to provide care, treatments and follow-up
The report added: “Enhancing cycling education concerning sharing the streets with tram lines may help to reduce accidents as may adopting preventative measures at known or suspected accident black spots.”
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