Grant: Health System Impact Fellowships - PostDoc Western Canada 2 year

Active transport users (e.g., walking, cycling, e-mobility, etc.) are more vulnerable to serious injury or fatality than drivers of motor vehicles are, as these modes do not offer physical protection from injury in the event of a crash. In the province of British Columbia (BC), like elsewhere, active transportation users have higher fatality and injury rates compared to drivers of motor vehicles. The Ministry of Health has a mandate to reduce the risk of injury and fatalities for active transport users, and, wishes to address potential inequities in bicycling and pedestrian trauma amongst vulnerable populations. To develop injury prevention strategies and to promote road safety in BC, the Ministry needs baseline information on the overarching patterns in active transportation crashes and/or injuries. To address this need, this fellowship will use a comprehensive database of crashes that include police records, insurance claims, emergency visits, and hospital admissions. It will provide detailed results regarding where, when, how and to whom crashes are occurring. The results of this project will provide decision makers with a foundational understanding of the current state of road safety for active transportation users, and generate evidence to create policies to increase the safety of active transport within BC.