A study on bicycle-related injuries and their costs in Shanghai, China.

China is known as the Bicycle Kingdom, but the nature, extent, and costs of bicycle-related injuries remain largely unknown. The authors' findings showed that the bicycle-related mortality rate increased 99% from 1992 to 2004, and it increased with age, from 0.64 per 100,000 population in the 0-14 age group to 5.93 per 100,000 population in the 65 and older age group. Labor force groups represented the majority of fatalities (70.8%) and nonfatal injuries (81.5%). The male mortality rate was 2.4 times higher than the female mortality rate. Head injuries accounted for 71.9% of fatalities and 33.1% of the hospitalizations. People with lower levels of education had higher injury rates. The poorer districts located in the countryside had the highest mortality rates compared to those located in the central, wealthier regions. The total annual cost of bicycle-related injuries was 1.1 billion CHY (Chinese Yuan) (over $137 million U.S.). To reduce bicycle-related injuries, mandatory helmet legislations, environmental modifications, and representative monitoring systems in China are required.