The number of bicycles with infants is rapidly increasing due to the revision of the Road Traffic Law in 2009 and the spread of electrically power assisted bicycles in recent years. The users of electrically power assisted bicycles are mainly the elderly and the child-rearing generation, and bicycles that allow children to ride along are particularly effective tools for improving the efficiency and health of the child-rearing generation. However, the reckless riding of bicycles by parents is often overlooked because they have no other means of transportation. Therefore, we conducted a questionnaire survey of parents who transport their children to and from nursery schools by bicycle to understand the actual situation of bicycle use and the state of awareness of the rules.

Cyclist underreporting of lower severity and single cyclist collisions to police results in the underestimation of the societal costs of lower severity and single cyclist collisions [1], [2]. Prevention strategies for these types of collisions are becoming a popular area of research, and video-based approaches have obvious potential for these cases, allowing for detailed analyses of underreported lower severity and single cyclist falls. Video-based studies have been used to investigate site-specific cyclist safety issues such as railway crossings [3 ]. They have also been used for near-collision or near-miss incidents and Surrogate Measures of Safety (SMoS), e.g., [4]. A recent Irish study has identified the most common collision configurations and factors with the inclusion of unreported cases [5]. Findings indicate that falls involving interactions with light rail tram tracks are common in Dublin; they were the most common infrastructural collision partner in this study and a contributing factor in 23% of single cyclist collisions (ibid.), supplementing international findings [6], [7]. Furthermore, along with increasing popularity of cycling, many new light rail systems are being implemented across Europe as part of a broader move towards sustainable transport [8]. Accordingly, further investigation is required to avoid potential conflicts. Therefore, this study aims to use video-based assessment to correlate fall risk with trajectories and crossing angles. [From: Introductiojn]

Experience and key data suggest that snow and ice lead to increased numbers of cyclist falls during the winter months. Reliable in-depth data concering the extent and characteristics of this issue are currently not available in most countries. In Germany, this is due to the high level of under-reporting in official statistics, particularly for incidents involving only one bicyclist. In combination with the lack of knowledge on exposure this causes difficulties to quantify risks for cyclist falls. This study addresses these gaps. lt aims at quantifying the risk of single bicycle accidents in inclement weather conditions. This study focusses on icy and snowy conditions as these are of relevance for the risk to fall. Cyclists are particularly affected by slippery icy and snowy road conditions; these might exist in clear, cloudy, or foggy weather, in situations with high or low humidity and with higher or lower wind speed. Variables from official weather data are purposefully combined in this study to identify time periods with snow or ice on the roads and to allow for the comparison of those with all other time periods ('other weather''). We address the above-mentioned problems of exposure and underreporting by using multiple data sources for quantifying the risk of falls. This approach allows to compute clear risk ratios for icy/snowy and the other weather conditions and thus contributes to the scarce and fragmented literature that has generated such values so far. [from Background, AIM]

Abstract: Background: In Parkinson’s disease, postural instability and falls are of particular socioeconomic relevance. Although effective fall prevention and the prophylaxis of fall-related injuries depend on low-threshold symptom monitoring, validated instruments are lacking. Objectives: To develop a self-report questionnaire for the assessment of falls, near falls, fear of falling, fallrelated injuries, and causes of falls for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD). - Methods: A pool of potential items was generated from a literature review and by discussion in an expert panel. The first version of the Dresden Fall Questionnaire (DREFAQ) was tested in a group of German-speaking movement disorder specialists as well as PwPD. The resulting 5-item questionnaire was assessed in a validation cohort of 36 PwPD who documented fall events and near-fall events in a calendar for 3 months and completed the DREFAQ at the end of the study. The questionnaire was subsequently used in a separate cohort of 46 PwPD to determine test–retest reliability and confirm the factor structure. - Results: The DREFAQ showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.84) and good test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.60–0.86). The total DREFAQ score showed good concurrent validity with fall events (Spearman’s ρ = 0.82) and near-fall events (Spearman’s ρ = 0.78) as determined by fall and near-fall diaries. Factor analysis revealed a 2-factor structure composed of near falls with fear of falling and severe falls with injuries. - Conclusions: The DREFAQ is a reliable and valid 5-item questionnaire for determining the incidence of falls, near falls, fear of falling, fall-related injuries, and causes of falls in PwPD.