Preventing falls on buses
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Studies track fall prevention
Researchers at Simon Fraser University’s Injury Prevention and Mobility Laboratory have found that bus passengers should stand sideways and hold a handrail at shoulder height to best avoid falling. Stephen Robinovitch, lab director, says studies from around the world show that more than half of non-collision injuries in bus and subway passengers occur while they are standing. The researchers built a machine to simulate transit vehicle stop and start movements and tested the balance of study participants.
Given the increasing role of public transit in major cities and the $3 billion cost associated with falls in Canada, Robinovitch is hopeful the team’s research will contribute to the safer design of buses and subways.
Robinovitch and student researchers are also involved in other studies of falls, including one focusing on seniors and falls in a pair of Vancouver care homes
Stephen Robinovitch, 778.782.3566; stever@sfu.ca (checking messages after hours)