With the advent of spring, bicycles start appearing on the road. An estimated 80 per cent of children 12 and under ride bicycles. Injury statistics for Canadians 19 years of age and under show that:
- over 90 per cent of bicycle fatalities C and 20 per cent of injuries requiring hospitalization C result from collisions with motor vehicles.
- half of the fatalities occur on roadways with speed limits of 70 km/h or greater.
- head injuries are involved in about 80 per cent of the deaths and more than half of the hospitalizations.
Source: For the Safety of Canadian Children and Youth, 8 Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 1997
