Cyclists fatalities: Forensic remarks regarding 335 cases.
A retrospective study was carried out on post-mortem examination data regarding 335 cyclists involved in fatal accidents along the period 1983-2012. The following variables were considered: temporal data (year, month, day of the week and hour of the day), circumstances of the accident, vehicles involved, victims' features (sex, age), pathological and toxicological findings, cause of death. Most victims were male (77.62%), with a mean age of 58 years. In most cases vehicles other than only bicycles were involved, more frequently cars, followed by heavy motor vehicles. Head was the most frequently body region involved in lethal injuries (65.37%); low extremities were the body district most frequently involved in non-lethal injuries (63.9%). This study confirmed the importance of using helmet; head protection should be a priority for bikers.
Forensic Medicine Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Italy.
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Piras
Forensic Medicine Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Italy.
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Russo
Forensic Medicine Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Italy.
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De Ferrari
Forensic Medicine Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Italy. Electronic address: andrea.verzeletti@unibs.it.
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Verzeletti
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality; D055815:Young Adult
Cyclist; Death; Injury; Protection