Cycling injuries are on the rise, according to a research report in the current edition of the Medical Journal of Australia. But, because there is no accurate data on the number of people who cycle, it is unclear whether it is actually becoming more dangerous, or more people are participating.

A study conducted by Dr Mirjana Sikik, trainee in Emergency Medicine at the Alfred hospital, and colleagues including Dr Belinda Gabbe, Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at Monash University, found that hospitals in Victoria recorded a significant increase in bicycling injuries between 2001 and 2006.

Almost 26,000 Victorian cyclists were treated in hospital Emergency Departments, resulting in more than 10,000 admissions to hospital and 47 fatalities over the five years…