TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - Blame attribution analysis of police motor vehicle collision reports involving child bicyclists
JO  - Injury prevention
A1  - Caplan, Lea
A1  - Lashewicz, Bonnie
A1  - Pitt, Tona Michael
A1  - Aucoin, Janet
A1  - Fridman, Liraz
A1  - Hubkarao, Tate
A1  - Pike, Ian
A1  - Howard, Andrew William
A1  - Macpherson, Alison K.
A1  - Rothman, Linda
A1  - Cloutier, Marie-Soleil
A1  - Hagel, Brent E.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - BACKGROUND: Injuries resulting from collisions between a bicyclist and driver are preventable and have high economic, personal and societal costs. Studying the language choices used by police officers to describe factors responsible for child bicyclist-motor vehicle collisions may help shift prevention efforts away from vulnerable road users to motorists and the environment. The overall aim was to investigate how police officers attribute blame in child (≤18 years) bicycle-motor vehicle collision scenarios. <br><br>METHODS: A document analysis approach was used to analyse Alberta Transportation police collision reports from Calgary and Edmonton (2016-2017). Collision reports were categorised by the research team according to perceived blame (child, driver, both, neither, unsure). Content analysis was then used to examine police officer language choices. A narrative thematic analysis of the individual, behavioural, structural and environmental factors leading to collision blame was then conducted. <br><br>RESULTS: Of 171 police collision reports included, child bicyclists were perceived to be at fault in 78 reports (45.6%) and adult drivers were perceived at fault in 85 reports (49.7%). Child bicyclists were portrayed through language choices as being irresponsible and irrational, leading to interactions with drivers and collisions. Risk perception issues were also mentioned frequently in relation to poor decisions made by child bicyclists. Most police officer reports discussed road user behaviours, and children were frequently blamed for collisions. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: This work provides an opportunity to re-examine perceptions of factors related to motor vehicle and child bicyclist collisions with a view to prevention.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1353-8047
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ip-2023-044884
ID  - ref1
ER  -