Spatial dimension of accidents involving pedelecs 25 and conventional bicycles

The pedelec 25 (pedal electric cycle) has established itself as a popular mode of transport, with sales rising. Unfortunately, this has also led to an increase in the number of accidents. Analyses of pedelec accidents have been carried out, but most studies are based on technical variables. Neither spatial, geographical factors, for example the terrain, nor socio-geographical aspects, such as whether an accident occurred in a tourist region, have been much addressed. However, geographical exposure can vary significantly. Therefore, we assume that spatial differences contribute to regional variations in numbers of accidents and resulting injuries associated with both bicycle types (pedelecs 25 and conventional). Thus, the aim of this paper is to determine geographical factors that influence severe accidents and to evaluate this influence. We have identified relevant geographical factors and proven their influence on two types of severity: risk of severe bicycle accidents per region (RS) and probability of severe injuries in case of accident (AS). Spatial analyses indicate that for both bicycle types, severity of accident increases in rural, mountainous or tourist regions. Regression analyses of RS provided further evidence: compactness of settlement structure (thus urbanity/rurality), share of tourists, altitude differences (only pedelecs), rate of registered motor vehicles and share of elderly population (only pedelecs) influence the risk of severe bicycle accidents per region. The influence of geographical variables tended to be greater for pedelecs. Regression analyses of AS reveal that geographical factors also have an influence on the probability of severe injuries in case of an accident.