FORT COLLINS, Colo. – A new study by a doctor at University of Colorado Health reports an 80 percent jump in cyclists treated for injuries at Larimer County hospitals from 2006 to 2012.
Dr. Terri Marty started researching the number of patients treated at Poudre Valley Hospital and Medical Center of the Rockies a year and a half ago. The vice chief of surgery, Dr. Marty said she started noticing more patients coming in with injuries due to bike accidents. The injuries ranged from a scrape to serious head trauma, ultimately leading to death. The most common were fractures.
From the data collected, she found there were 325 riders treated at the two hospitals in 2012; compared to 180 in 2006. In the span of seven years, nine riders died.
“We’ve looked at who’s being injured, when they’re being injured, how severe their injuries are and their outcomes,” Dr. Marty said.
The study also looked at whether the rider was wearing a helmet. 30 percent of the people brought into the trauma centers reported wearing a helmet; six of the nine reported deaths were not.
Marty said the numbers are similar to the numbers in the National Trauma Data Bank with one exception, the time of day. Nationally, most fatal and non-fatal bike verse car accidents happen between 4 p.m to 8 p.m.
