Safety in Off-Road Conditions

• Bicycle riding has evolved from a mode of transportation to a widely enjoyed hobby and recreational sport. Off-road riding and racing has certainly increased in popularity over the past decade.
  
  
• The majority of off-road injuries involve cuts and scrapes to the arms and legs. However, off-road or all-terrain cyclists sustain more severe injuries—such as fractures and dislocations—than road cyclists.
  
  
• In 1998 bicycling accounted for the largest number of sport-related injuries in Emergency Departments among middle-aged people.
  
  
• Off-road cyclists are more likely to wear a protective helmet and therefore less likely to have face and head injuries.