Risk of non-collision injuries to public transport passengers: Synthesis of evidence from eleven studies

Abstract

Research problem This paper reviews and summarises studies of the risk of non-collision injuries to public transport passengers. Non-collision injuries include injuries when boarding or alighting and falls onboard as a result of e.g. sudden braking. It was possible to reconstruct exposure to risk for eleven studies, providing a total of twelve estimates of risk for boarding and alighting and twelve estimates of risk for falls onboard. Results The mean risk of falling in a moving vehicle is about 0.3–0.5 per million passenger kilometres. The mean risk of injury associated with boarding or alighting is about 0.8–1.7 per million passengers. Variability of results Estimates of risk are uncertain and vary substantially from study-to-study, largely for unknown reasons. Half of the estimates of exposure to risk were rated as very or somewhat uncertain.