Cycle Stratford Incident Report Procedures

Cycle Stratford intends to keep a record of all incidents that occur during club riders with the intent to improve the safety and enjoyment of group rides.

Handling incidents during a group cycling ride is crucial to ensuring the safety of all riders involved.

The classification of a cycling incident as minor, major, or critical depends on the severity of the incident and the potential impact it could have on the individuals involved. Here are some guidelines for classifying cycling incidents:

Minor Incident: A minor incident is an incident that has a low impact on the individuals involved and can be resolved quickly without medical attention from emergency services. Examples of minor incidents include:

  • A rider getting a flat tire
  • A minor collision between two riders that results in no injuries
  • A rider experiencing a minor injury that can be treated with a first-aid kit, such as a small cut or scrape

Major Incident: A major incident is an incident that has a significant impact on the individuals involved and requires medical attention by emergency services. Examples of major incidents include:

  • A collision between two or more riders that results in injuries that require medical attention
  • A rider experiencing a significant injury, such as a broken bone or concussion
  • A rider experiencing a medical emergency, such as a heart attack or stroke or severe allergic reaction

Critical Incident: A critical incident is an incident that has a severe impact on the individuals involved and requires immediate intervention by emergency services. Examples of critical incidents include:

  • A collision between riders that result in fatalities
  • A collision between a rider or riders and a motor vehicle that results in fatalities

It is important to note that the severity of an incident can also depend on the context and circumstances of the ride. For example, a minor incident may become a major incident if it occurs in a remote area with limited access to medical care.

Incident Report Form

The Incident Report Form can be downloaded to PDF or Word and completed either electronically or on paper. 

Procedure

1. Document the Incident: The rider leader (or designated substitute) should document the incident as soon as possible after it occurs.  However in the case of minor incidents, this may be postponed until after the completion of the ride.  Also in the case of critical incidents, it may not be possible to document the incident until the crisis has been dealt with. It is important to ensure that names & contact information for all witnesses are captured.

2. Send the Report: The report should be sent to the Cycle Stratford Safety Officer using email address programscyclestratford@gmail.com. If the report is classified as Critical, copies should be sent to Cycle Stratford Board Members.

3. Review the Report: The Cycle Stratford Safety Officer should review the incident report and severity of the incident.  If necessary, the Safety Officer will contact the group involved to gather additional information.

4. In the case of minor incidents, the Safety Officer should collate the details so that they can be reviewed at the next Board Meeting. The Board will then determine if there is any follow-up action required such as:

  • Contacting injured cyclists to find out how well their recovery is going
  • Deciding whether to include additional safety briefings/reminders at the start of group ride concerning traffic laws, known road hazards, etc.
  • Providing training
  • Modifying routes

5. In the case of major and critical incidents, the Safety Officer should immediately send the report to the Board. The Board should convene at its earliest opportunity to discuss the incident and agree next steps.  This may include escalating the report to the Police or other authorities if they have not already been involved.

The Safety Officer should be prepared to summarize Incident Reports at each board meeting and at the Annual General Meeting.