A third of the injured cyclists sustained head injuries.

According to a new medical study, the Luas tracks are posing a serious health issue for Dublin cyclists. The Independent reports that,

“A review of cyclists attending the emergency department in St James’s Hospital in Dublin over a two-year period found 48 patients had suffered injuries which were sustained when their bicycle wheel got caught in the on-road Luas tracks.”

The Luas tracks by College Green pose as particularly dangerous, being deemed as a “black spot“; 46% of injuries reported occurred there. Dawson Street and Stephen’s Lane by Heuston were also highlighted to account for many of the injuries.

The medical study reported injuries to the upper and lower limbs, such as shoulders, hands, feet, and knees most commonly. The Independent states that the report found “a third of all injured cyclists sustained some type of head injury.”

Olivia Smith, one of the author’s on the medical study, said most collisions or injuries occur when a cyclist is riding close to the Luas, or attempts to cross the tracks at an acute angle.

As many as 50% of people were not wearing helmets when their injuries took place (although it has been noted that some patient’s information was incomplete, meaning this figure could be much higher).

While there have been calls to make the tracks safer by using rubber inserts to fill the gaps, to do so presents its own challenges.

Header image via Shutterstock

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