Cyclists are crashing on Dublin's Luas lines and breaking their legs or arms, among other injuries, very frequently, according a new study into those cyclists who were injured. The authors of the research have also identified the areas in Dublin where Luas-related cycling crashes are most common.
The authors of the research studied cycling injuries in only one of the six hospital emergency departments in Dublin and said the true extent of the crashes, and injuries sustained, was likely to be "significantly higher" than recorded in their findings even though they identified a significant number of serious crashes.
"Some of the more severe injuries included one patient with a fractured neck of femur and another with a part of their bicycle embedded in the soft tissues of the thigh," concluded the study, which has been published by the Irish Journal of Medical Science.
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The researchers concluded there were "inherent dangers" for cyclists on or around Luas tracks. The accidents occurred "as cyclists crossed the tracks or when the wheel slipped into the track space as they cycled adjacent to the line", saying some of the fractures sustained were very serious.
"These type injuries have the potential to not only impact significantly on the day-to-day lives of patients and their employment capability, but also at a psychological level on injury outcome and ability to return to work," the researchers note.
They added they were able to study cycling injuries at just one emergency department - in St James's Hospital - because no data was available from other hospitals. They believed more comprehensive research was required "to properly describe the magnitude cycling accidents around the Luas tracks and inform future public health measures in this area".
The research was conducted by Olivia Smith of St James's Hospital, Catherine McCabe of Trinity College, and Emer Kidney of Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown. They identified 48 cyclists who required treatment in St James's during a two-year period after their wheel became stuck in the tram tracks in Dublin. Of those, 29 suffered leg or arm fractures. In a further 10 cases, the cyclists suffered head injuries. Seven of the cyclists required orthopaedic surgery.
Almost half of the incidents, 22 cases, occurred on the Luas lines at or near Trinity College. Some 12.5 per cent occurred on Stephens Lane, Dublin 8, near Heuston train station while another 12.5 per cent occurred on Dawson Street in the city centre. Other separate locations around the city centre amounted to 27.1 per cent of the accidents recorded. However - as is the case for the other findings - the conclusions only relate to cyclists who were taken to St James's for treatment.
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"Twenty-five per cent of patients had soft tissue injuries," the study states. "Some were minor that were treated and discharged. Others required primary wound closure - 23 per cent of all patients - or follow-up with physio/occupation therapy or dressing clinic.
"Thirty-three per cent of patients in the study sustained a head injury. Fifty per cent (24) of the patients were not wearing a cycling helmet at the time of the incident," the study added, though noted in 20 per cent of cases there was no record relating to whether a helmet was being worn at the time.
The research team studied the records from November, 2017, to November, 2019, at St James's Hospital emergency department in a bid to establish how many cyclists were crashing on the Luas lines and suffering injury.
However, given the distances covered by the Luas lines, it is certain other cyclists who crashed on the lines were taken to other hospitals, though those cases are not captured in the new research. Furthermore, cyclists who suffered minor injuries, and so did not require hospital treatment, are also not included in the study. Patients under the age of 18 years are also excluded from the study, even if they crashed on the Luas tracks, were injured and were taken to St James's.
Some 48 patients were identified as having "presented with injuries specifically sustained when their bicycle wheel got caught in a tram track" - 55 per cent were male and 45 per cent female. Half were under the age of 30-years and half were older.
Recommendations
"The area around College Green in the city centre had highest number of incidents," the researchers found. "It may be that the area where the rail phalanges intersect warrants closer examination and scrutiny, with possible engineering solutions developed to avoid further injury in these areas.
"It does appear and is generally advised that cyclists need to cross tram tracks at a direct 90-degree angle rather than at an acute angle. This method of track-crossing would reduce the risk of the wheel getting caught in the track. However, in busy rush hour traffic when most incidents did occur, accurate manoeuvring across tram tracks may prove challenging or impossible at traffic-clogged intersections.
"Filling in of the grooves has been suggested but appears to present engineering difficulties. Awareness of tyre depth versus rail width is also critical. The manoeuvrability of city bikes versus owner racing bikes, for example, may also be a factor and could be explored in future studies. Better signage to heighten awareness among cyclists of the dangers of cycling over tracks in these areas may also need to be considered."
