Communities With Bikeshare Programs Might Have a Lower Risk of Bicycle-Related Maxillofacial Injuries: Results From an Early Adopter of Bikeshare Programs.

PURPOSE: Although bikeshare programs can relieve traffic congestion, concerns for cyclist safety have been reported, secondary to the low frequency of helmet use observed among bikeshare users. The purpose of the present study was to measure and compare the risk of cycling-related maxillofacial injuries in communities with and without bikeshare programs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed a retrospective cohort study and enrolled a sample of patients who had presented to a level 1 trauma center for evaluation of bicycle-related injuries. The primary predictor variable was the community's status regarding bikeshare programs, coded as present or absent. The primary outcome variable was the presence of a facial injury, coded as present or absent. Other study variables included demographic and injury-related parameters. Uni-, bi-, and multivariate statistics were computed, and statistical significance was set at P ≤ .05. RESULTS: The study sample included 1346 subjects. Of the 1346 patients, 507 (37.7%) had been injured in communities with bikeshare systems, and facial injuries were present in 305 (22.7%). Facial injuries were less common in the patients injured in communities with bikeshare than in those injured in communities without bikeshare (18.1 vs 25.4%; relative risk, 0.7; P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to expectations, bicyclists injured in communities with bikeshare programs had a 30% decreased risk of maxillofacial injuries compared with bicyclists injured in communities without bikeshare programs. This finding might be partially explained by the low performance associated with the current bikeshare bicycles.