title: Personal and trip characteristics associated with safety equipment use by injured adult bicyclists: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to estimate use of helmets, lights, and visible clothing among cyclists and to examine trip and personal characteristics associated with their use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from a study of transportation infrastructure and injuries to 690 adult cyclists in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, we examined the proportion who used bike lights, conspicuous clothing on the torso, and helmets on their injury trip. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine associations between personal and trip characteristics and each type of safety equipment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bike lights were the least frequently used (20% of all trips) although they were used on 77% of trips at night. Conspicuous clothing (white, yellow, orange, red) was worn on 33% of trips. Helmets were used on 69% of trips, 76% in Vancouver where adult helmet use is required by law and 59% in Toronto where it is not. Factors positively associated with bike light use included night, dawn and dusk trips, poor weather conditions, weekday trips, male sex, and helmet use. Factors positively associated with conspicuous clothing use included good weather conditions, older age, and more frequent cycling. Factors positively associated with helmet use included bike light use, longer trip distances, hybrid bike type, not using alcohol in the 6 hours prior to the trip, female sex, older age, higher income, and higher education.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In two of Canada's largest cities, helmets were the most widely used safety equipment. Measures to increase use of visibility aids on both daytime and night-time cycling trips may help prevent crashes.
authors.affiliation: School of Population and Public Health, 2206 East Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. kay.teschke@ubc.ca
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Teschke
authors.forename: Jeff R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Brubacher
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Cripton
authors.forename: M Anne
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Conor C O
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Melody
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monro
authors.forename: Garth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hunte
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chipman
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Cusimano
authors.forename: Nancy Smith
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Lea
authors.forename: Shelina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Babul
authors.forename: Meghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Winters
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001955:British Columbia; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006260:Head Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009864:Ontario; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012449:Safety; D055815:Young Adult