I think there is definately a very interesting academic piece of work that could be done around injuries at Trail Centres v Injuries on natural trails. The detailed would all be in the stats. I’m convinced that people approach trail type very differently.
Personally I think its a mixture of:
* Middle aged men riding bikes that are capable of more than they are.
* Trail centres are theme parks and people get an adrenaline high, and end up riding stuff they wouldnt normally consider.
* Trail centres have features you dont ride else where… I’ve never seen another Hully Gully any where (natural) so people have no clue how to ride it.
As to the cost of the NHS, to be fair Mrs FD (orthopaedic surgeon) does see more mtb injuries than she did 5 years ago, but this still doesn’t come close to the numbers of car accidents or drug/alcohol related injuries.
If like at Gisburn access means that the Air Ambulance & Mountain Rescue need to be used, then surely this cost should be built in to the parking fees?