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Mapping bicycle use and the risk of accidents for commuters who cycle to work in Belgium

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  • Vandenbulcke, Grégory
  • Thomas, Isabelle
  • de Geus, Bas
  • Degraeuwe, Bart
  • Torfs, Rudi
  • Meeusen, Romain
  • Int Panis, Luc

Abstract

This paper explores the spatial patterns of bicycle use for commuting and the risk cyclists run being injured in a road accident when commuting to work in Belgium. Exploratory data analyses suggest that the observed differences in the use of the bicycle to get to work are strongly linked to the urban hierarchy: commuters are more inclined to cycle in cities and specifically in regional towns (with 25Â 000 to 120Â 000 inhabitants). In large cities (more than 200Â 000 inhabitants), less commuting by bicycle takes place. The relationship between bicycle use and the risk of being seriously injured or killed in a road accident is also studied. A cluster analysis confirms that high proportions of commuter cyclists are correlated with low risks of becoming a casualty. It also shows that there are strong spatial differences (regional and between different types of towns) in bicycle use and the risk of an accident. This suggests that cycling policies should be spatially differentiated.

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  • Vandenbulcke, Grégory & Thomas, Isabelle & de Geus, Bas & Degraeuwe, Bart & Torfs, Rudi & Meeusen, Romain & Int Panis, Luc, 2009. "Mapping bicycle use and the risk of accidents for commuters who cycle to work in Belgium," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 77-87, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:16:y:2009:i:2:p:77-87
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    2. Ürge-Vorsatz, Diana & Kelemen, Agnes & Tirado-Herrero, Sergio & Thomas, Stefan & Thema, Johannes & Mzavanadze, Nora & Hauptstock, Dorothea & Suerkemper, Felix & Teubler, Jens & Gupta, Mukesh & Chatter, 2016. "Measuring multiple impacts of low-carbon energy options in a green economy context," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 1409-1426.
    3. Van Malderen, Laurent & Jourquin, Bart & Thomas, Isabelle & Vanoutrive, Thomas & Verhetsel, Ann & Witlox, Frank, 2012. "On the mobility policies of companies: What are the good practices? The Belgian case," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 10-19.
    4. Laurent Van Malderen & Bart Jourquin & Isabelle Thomas & Thomas Vanoutrive & Ann Verhetsel & Frank Witlox, 2011. "Employer Mobility Plans: Acceptability, Efficiency And Costs," ERSA conference papers ersa10p291, European Regional Science Association.
    5. Verhetsel, Ann & Vanelslander, Thierry, 2010. "What location policy can bring to sustainable commuting: an empirical study in Brussels and Flanders, Belgium," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 691-701.
    6. Vandenbulcke, Grégory & Dujardin, Claire & Thomas, Isabelle & Geus, Bas de & Degraeuwe, Bart & Meeusen, Romain & Panis, Luc Int, 2011. "Cycle commuting in Belgium: Spatial determinants and 're-cycling' strategies," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 118-137, February.
    7. Pucher, John & Buehler, Ralph & Seinen, Mark, 2011. "Bicycling renaissance in North America? An update and re-appraisal of cycling trends and policies," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 45(6), pages 451-475, July.
    8. de Kruijf, Joost & van der Waerden, Peter & Feng, Tao & Böcker, Lars & van Lierop, Dea & Ettema, Dick & Dijst, Martin, 2021. "Integrated weather effects on e-cycling in daily commuting: A longitudinal evaluation of weather effects on e-cycling in the Netherlands," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 305-315.
    9. Van Holle, Veerle & Van Cauwenberg, Jelle & Deforche, Benedicte & Goubert, Liesbet & Maes, Lea & Nasar, Jack & Van de Weghe, Nico & Salmon, Jo & De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse, 2014. "Environmental invitingness for transport-related cycling in middle-aged adults: A proof of concept study using photographs," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 432-446.
    10. Hwachyi Wang & S. K. Jason Chang & Hans De Backer & Dirk Lauwers & Philippe De Maeyer, 2019. "Integrating Spatial and Temporal Approaches for Explaining Bicycle Crashes in High-Risk Areas in Antwerp (Belgium)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-28, July.
    11. Bagdatli, Muhammed Emin Cihangir & Ipek, Fatima, 2022. "Transport mode preferences of university students in post-COVID-19 pandemic," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 20-32.
    12. Gabriele Prati & Víctor Marín Puchades & Marco De Angelis & Federico Fraboni & Luca Pietrantoni, 2018. "Factors contributing to bicycle–motorised vehicle collisions: a systematic literature review," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(2), pages 184-208, March.
    13. Wang, Hwachyi & De Backer, Hans & Lauwers, Dirk & Chang, S.K.Jason, 2019. "A spatio-temporal mapping to assess bicycle collision risks on high-risk areas (Bridges) - A case study from Taipei (Taiwan)," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 94-109.
    14. Cunha, Isabel & Silva, Cecília, 2023. "Assessing the equity impact of cycling infrastructure allocation: Implications for planning practice," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 15-26.
    15. Konstantin Klemmer & Tobias Brandt & Stephen Jarvis, 2018. "Isolating the effect of cycling on local business environments in London," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(12), pages 1-31, December.
    16. Rachel Aldred & Georgios Kapousizis & Anna Goodman, 2021. "Association of Infrastructure and Route Environment Factors with Cycling Injury Risk at Intersection and Non-Intersection Locations: A Case-Crossover Study of Britain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-17, March.
    17. Jelle Van Cauwenberg & Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij & Peter Clarys & Bas de Geus & Benedicte Deforche, 2019. "E-bikes among older adults: benefits, disadvantages, usage and crash characteristics," Transportation, Springer, vol. 46(6), pages 2151-2172, December.
    18. Simons, Dorien & De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse & Clarys, Peter & de Geus, Bas & Vandelanotte, Corneel & Van Cauwenberg, Jelle & Deforche, Benedicte, 2017. "Choice of transport mode in emerging adulthood: Differences between secondary school students, studying young adults and working young adults and relations with gender, SES and living environment," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 172-184.
    19. Blazquez, Carola A. & Calderón, Juan Felipe & Puelma, Isabel, 2020. "Towards a safe and sustainable mobility: Spatial-temporal analysis of bicycle crashes in Chile," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
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