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Basch CH, Ethan D, Fera J, Kollia B, Basch CE. Micromobility Vehicles, Obstructions, and Rider Safety Behaviors in New York City Bike Lanes. J Community Health 2023; 48:522-527. [PMID: 36745357 PMCID: PMC9900529 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-023-01197-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Micromobility vehicles (MMVs) have become increasingly popular, particularly in urban areas where infrastructure has improved in recent years to facilitate their use. The purpose of this study was to observe protected bike lanes in 10 zones of Manhattan, NYC to: (1) describe the MMVs in bike lanes by type, phone and helmet use; and (2) document MMV users' responses to obstructions. Approximately 1 in 4 of all riders (260/998) were wearing a helmet. Fewer than 2% were observed using a phone while moving. Fewer than 9% of Citi Bike users were wearing a helmet. In contrast, over one-third of non-Citi Bike users were wearing a helmet (228 of 670, 34.03%). This difference was determined to be significant by a chi-squared test (a = 0.05) with a p-value less than 0.0001. Of the 988 MMVs observed in this study, 398 (40.28%) were motorized and 590 (59.72%) were non-motorized. A similar proportion of users of motorized riders versus non-motorized vehicles were wearing a helmet (28.14%, 112/398 versus 24.41%, 144/590). A total of 232 riders (23.50%) encountered an obstruction in their bike lane. Of these obstructions in a bike lane, 82.33% (191/232) were a car/vehicle and 17.67% (41/232) was garbage. A large majority of riders (87.93%) reacted by riding into the traffic lane. These findings suggest that further research and local education, enforcement, and legislative efforts are needed to examine and implement best practices in the safe operation of MMVs, decreasing bike lane obstructions, promoting helmet use, and raising awareness of MMV legislation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey H Basch
- Department of Public Health, William Paterson University, University Hall, 07470, Wayne, NJ, USA.
| | - Danna Ethan
- Department of Health Promotion and Nutrition Sciences , Lehman College, The City University of New York, 10468, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Joseph Fera
- Department of Mathematics, Lehman College, The City University of New York, 10468, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Betty Kollia
- Department of Communication Disorders & Sciences, William Paterson University, 07470, Wayne, NJ, USA
| | - Charles E Basch
- Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, 10027, NY, USA
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2
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Huemer AK, Banach E, Bolten N, Helweg S, Koch A, Martin T. Secondary task engagement, risk-taking, and safety-related equipment use in German bicycle and e-scooter riders - An observation. ACCIDENT; ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION 2022; 172:106685. [PMID: 35490473 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2022.106685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The behavioral safety of e-bike and e-scooter riders is a significant concern in traffic safety. In an observational study in Braunschweig, Germany, 4,514 bicycle and e-scooter riders were observed concerning their used vehicles type, secondary task engagement, use of additional safety equipment, and traffic rule violation. Overall, 13.4% of all riders were engaged in any secondary task, wearing headphones or earphones being the most frequent behavior (6.7%), followed by conversations with other cyclists (3.7%). Banned mobile phone use was low (0.8%). Secondary task engagement was positively correlated with traffic rule violations and at-fault conflicts and negatively with the use of additional safety equipment. Cluster analysis on vehicle types and behaviors revealed five groups of riders, two with relatively high numbers of risky behaviors: young and middle-aged, predominantly male riders of conventional bicycles, and a group of demographically similar users of electric bikes and e-scooters. Campaigns targeted at these specific groups may help reduce risky behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Katharina Huemer
- Engineering and Traffic Psychology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Elise Banach
- Engineering and Traffic Psychology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Nicolas Bolten
- Engineering and Traffic Psychology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sarah Helweg
- Engineering and Traffic Psychology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Anjanette Koch
- Engineering and Traffic Psychology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Tamara Martin
- Engineering and Traffic Psychology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
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Guo Y, Agrawal S, Peeta S, Benedyk I. Safety and health perceptions of location-based augmented reality gaming app and their implications. ACCIDENT; ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION 2021; 161:106354. [PMID: 34454283 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2021.106354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study seeks to understand the potential safety and health implications of location-based augmented reality gaming apps ("LAR apps") through studying people perception of Pokémon GO, a popular LAR gaming app. These perceptions can affect app usage behavior, app retention rate, and market share which can be critical to policymakers and app developers. An online survey is conducted to capture the impacts of Pokémon GO regarding: (i) perceived risk of using the app and opinion of prohibiting its usage while driving and cycling, (ii) frequency of app-related distracted driving and cycling, (iii) frequency of app-induced driving and potentially unsafe driving behavior, (iv) average daily steps before and after using the app, and (v) perceived physical and mental health benefits. Multivariate binary probit models and random parameters ordered probit models were estimated to capture users' and non-users' characteristics that affect these perceptions, attitude, and behavior. The results suggest that LAR gaming apps can potentially promote physical activity by encouraging people to walk more, increase social interactions such as app-related discussions, but also contribute to increased app-related distracted driving and cycling, app-induced driving, and unsafe driving behavior. The study findings and insights can provide valuable feedback to legislators and LAR gaming app developers for designing policies and app mechanisms that can address the safety concerns of using such apps, and provide physical and mental health benefits to its users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuntao Guo
- Department of Traffic Engineering and Key Laboratory of Road and Traffic Engineering, Ministry of Education, Tongji University, 4800 Cao'an Road, Shanghai 201804, China.
| | - Shubham Agrawal
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
| | - Srinivas Peeta
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 790 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332-0355, USA.
| | - Irina Benedyk
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo NY 14260, USA.
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Boronat P, Pérez-Francisco M, Calafate CT, Cano JC. Towards a Sustainable City for Cyclists: Promoting Safety through a Mobile Sensing Application. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21062116. [PMID: 33803039 PMCID: PMC8003053 DOI: 10.3390/s21062116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Riding a bicycle is a great manner to contribute to the preservation of our ecosystem. Cycling helps to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion, and so, it is one of the simplest ways to lower the environmental footprint of people. However, the cohabitation of cars and vulnerable road users, such as bikes, scooters, or pedestrians, is prone to cause accidents with serious consequences. In this context, technological solutions are sought that enable the generation of alerts to prevent these accidents, thereby promoting a safer city for these road users, and a cleaner environment. Alert systems based on smartphones can alleviate these situations since nearly all people carry such a device while traveling. In this work, we test the suitability of a smartphone based alert system, determining the most adequate communications architecture. Two protocols have been designed to send position and alert messages to/from a centralized server over 4G cellular networks. One of the protocols is implemented using a REST architecture on top of the HTTP protocol, and the other one is implemented over the UDP protocol. We show that the proposed alarm system is feasible regarding communication response time, and we conclude that the application should be implemented over the UDP protocol, as response times are about three times better than for the REST implementation. We tested the applications in real deployments, finding that drivers are warned of the presence of bicycles when closer than 150 m, having enough time to pay attention to the situation and drive more carefully to avoid a collision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Boronat
- Computer Languages and Systems Department, Universitat Jaume I (UJI), 12071 Castelló de la Plana, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Miguel Pérez-Francisco
- Computer Science and Engineering Department, Universitat Jaume I (UJI), 12071 Castelló de la Plana, Spain;
| | - Carlos T. Calafate
- Computer Engineering Department (DISCA), Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), 46022 Valencia, Spain; (C.T.C.); (J.-C.C.)
| | - Juan-Carlos Cano
- Computer Engineering Department (DISCA), Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), 46022 Valencia, Spain; (C.T.C.); (J.-C.C.)
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5
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Chen S, Cui H, Tang M, Wang Y, Zhang M, Bai Y, Song B, Shen Z, Gu D, Yin Z, Liu G. The Injuries and Helmet Use in Bike Share Programs: A Systematic Review. J Community Health 2020; 46:203-210. [PMID: 32415520 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-020-00836-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the injury effects of bike share programs and the helmet usage status in bike share programs. We conducted a systematic review of peer reviewed scientific literature. Searches were conducted in three databases (Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science) on March 1 2020 to identify all articles on the injury incidence related to bike share programs and the helmet usage status in bike share programs. Titles, abstracts, and full-text articles were screened to identify all articles relevant to the themes by two authors independently, and discrepancies were resolved after discussion with the third author. Standardised data extraction and quality assessment (The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale) were implemented. A sum of 491 records after removing duplicates was identified, 181 fulltext articles were screened, and 13 studies were included in the review. The primary outcome are injuries of bike share users and unhelmeted rate among bike share users as well as the unhelmeted rate among personal bike users. Two studies evaluated the injuries related to bike share users, but have inconclusive results. A total of 11 studies reported the unhelmeted rates in bike share programs ranging from 36.0 to 88.9%. There is a significant change in bike injuries with the implementation of bike share programs. Moreover, the unhelmeted rate of bike share users was generally higher than that of personal bike users, which may result from helmets' accessibility and users' safety perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Southwest School of Medicine and First Affiliated Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injuries, Eighth Department, Daping Hospital, Research Institute of Surgery, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, People's Republic of China
| | - Huijie Cui
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Southwest School of Medicine and First Affiliated Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingshuang Tang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Southwest School of Medicine and First Affiliated Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China
| | - Yutong Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Southwest School of Medicine and First Affiliated Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye Bai
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Bing Song
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Southwest School of Medicine and First Affiliated Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhuozhi Shen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Southwest School of Medicine and First Affiliated Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongqing Gu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Southwest School of Medicine and First Affiliated Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiyong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injuries, Fourth Department, Daping Hospital, Institute for Traffic Medicine, Research Institute of Surgery, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, People's Republic of China
| | - Guodong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injuries, Eighth Department, Daping Hospital, Research Institute of Surgery, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, People's Republic of China.
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Meijer R, van Dam E, Bouma H, Baan J, van der Hurk SE. Measurement method for objective cyclist behavior parameters. TRAFFIC INJURY PREVENTION 2020; 20:16-20. [PMID: 32286092 DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2020.1745196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this research is to study the feasibility of measuring behavioral indicators that reflect effects of infrastructure and interaction with other road users.Methods: An observation study was performed using 6 cameras above a separated cycle path next to a road which included a crossing with both cyclists and cars. A learning method based on Single Shot MultiBox Detector was applied to automatically detect the cyclists, and cyclist tracks were determined. Next, kinematic parameters were calculated from the cyclists' tracks. Amongst others, the cyclists' intensity, speed, position on the cycle path, and the distance to each other were analyzed for a busy period as well as for a quiet period of the day.Results: With the measurement method developed in this study it is possible to analyze the cyclists' intensity, the space they use at the cycle path, their average velocity, waiting times, the space and velocity amongst each other, and red light negation. However, collisions were not seen in the dataset analyzed, and the data is not sufficiently accurate to analyze sudden braking actions.Conclusion: It can be concluded that the developed measurement method provides insight of the cyclists' behavior in such a way that it can already be used for obtaining information to make changes to the infrastructure that will improve the comfort and safety of cyclists. The method could be further developed for doing qualitative comfort and safety analyses, and for doing analyses of the interaction between various types of road participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riske Meijer
- Department of Integrated Vehicle Safety, TNO, Helmond, The Netherlands
| | - Esra van Dam
- Department of Integrated Vehicle Safety, TNO, Helmond, The Netherlands
| | - Henri Bouma
- Department of Intelligent Imaging, TNO, Den Haag, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Baan
- Department of Intelligent Imaging, TNO, Den Haag, The Netherlands
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Wu X, Xiao W, Deng C, Schwebel DC, Hu G. Unsafe riding behaviors of shared-bicycle riders in urban China: A retrospective survey. ACCIDENT; ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION 2019; 131:1-7. [PMID: 31228635 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Shared-bicycle use has skyrocketed in urban China, but little is known about the safety of bicycle users. The Chinese popular media reports multiple risky riding behaviors among shared bicycle riders, but scientific research on the topic is lacking. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective WeChat-based online survey to examine how often shared bicycle riders report engaging in risky cycling behaviors in urban China. Eight unsafe shared bicycle riding behaviors were assessed: not wearing helmets, running red lights, cycling against the traffic flow, riding in lanes designed for motor vehicles, riding in lanes designed for pedestrians, carrying passengers on bicycles, using cell phones while riding, and eating while riding. In total, 1960 valid questionnaires were collected. The proportion of participants who reported always or often having unsafe riding behavior in the past month, ranged from 1.1% for carrying passengers on the bicycles to 97.6% for failing to wear a helmet. Demographic characteristics were associated with unsafe behaviors through multivariate logistic regression, with male riders and riders aged 25 years or younger more likely to ride while using cell phones than females (AOR = 2.94) and those 36 years or older (AOR = 3.57). Cyclists with undergraduate education were more likely to wear helmets than those with postgraduate education or higher (AOR = 0.21). Compared to riders from central municipalities governed directly by the central government, riders from provincial capitals, deputy provincial cities, and smaller cities were at higher risks of riding in lanes for pedestrians, respectively (AOR = 1.59, 2.82 and 1.61). Riders who rode over 5 h a week and who rode on weekends were more likely to carry passengers than those who rode less than 1 h a week (AOR = 4.72) and those who rode only on weekdays (AOR = 3.93). We conclude that shared-bicycle riders frequently engage in some unsafe riding behaviors in urban China. Younger age, lower level of education, and longer hours of riding each week are associated with greater risks of some unsafe riding behaviors. Shared bicycles offer substantial benefit to societal health and transportation, but evidence-based interventions should be considered to reduce risks from unsafe shared bicycle riding behaviors. A well-designed road infrastructure with dedicated on-road bicycle lanes and readily-accessible comfortable, low-cost, and safe helmets may also reduce unsafe riding behaviors and unwanted crashes and injuries for shared bicycle riders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Wu
- Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Wangxin Xiao
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.
| | - Conghui Deng
- Department of Administration Management, School of Public Administration, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, China.
| | - David C Schwebel
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
| | - Guoqing Hu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.
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Well-being, behavioral patterns and cycling crashes of different age groups in Latin America: Are aging adults the safest cyclists? PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221864. [PMID: 31461508 PMCID: PMC6713343 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives This study aimed at analyzing the cycling safety-related factors and the mental health indicators of elderly cyclists in comparison with other age groups. Methods For this cross-sectional study, we analyzed the data of 911 bicyclists from two Latin American countries that have been experiencing a substantial growth of urban cycling during the last few years: Colombia and Argentina. Participants responded to an e-questionnaire on bicycling behaviors, mental health and cycling safety. Results Aging adults reported lower rates of risky behaviors and traffic crashes (around .38 in five years), and, on the other hand, more cycling protective behaviors, a higher risk perception and a better knowledge of traffic norms than both other adults (26–50 years old) and young cyclists (<26). Cycling behaviors and crashes were found to be significantly related to mental health indicators, the latter being higher in aging cyclists. However, this population remains more prone to distractions experienced while cycling than other age groups. Conclusions Although the behavioral features of aging adults were comparatively “safer” than the ones displayed by other age groups, factors such as cycling distractions and this population’s over-representation in traffic crashes suggest the need of enforcing policymaking for a better integration of this age segment in alternative transportation dynamics.
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Useche SA, Alonso F, Montoro L, Esteban C. Distraction of cyclists: how does it influence their risky behaviors and traffic crashes? PeerJ 2018; 6:e5616. [PMID: 30225181 PMCID: PMC6139010 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Undisputedly, traffic crashes constitute a public health concern whose impact and importance have been increasing during the past few decades. Specifically, road safety data have systematically shown how cyclists are highly vulnerable to suffering traffic crashes and severe injuries derived from them. Furthermore, although the empirical evidence is still very limited in this regard, in addition to other human factors involved in cycling crashes, distractions while cycling appear to be a major contributor to the road risk of cyclists. Objectives The main objectives of this study were, first, to explore the prevalence and trends of cycling distractions within an international sample of bike users, and second, to determine the influence of such distractions on road crashes suffered by cyclists, simultaneously considering the explanatory role of risky behaviors (errors and traffic violations) as potentially mediating variables between cycling distractions and traffic crashes. Methods For this cross-sectional study, we analyzed the data obtained from 1,064 cyclists—61.2% male and 38.8% female—from 20 different countries, who answered an on-line questionnaire on cycling-related features, habits, behaviors and accidents. Results The prevalence of different cycling distractions oscillated between 34.7% and 83.6%. The most common distractions were those related to the behavior of other users, physical elements of the road, weather conditions and phone calls. Age trends and differences were also found, thus establishing a positive association between age and distractibility during cycling. Furthermore, the effect of distractions on traffic crashes of cyclists was significant when tested together with age, risk perception and risky behaviors on the road. Conclusion The results of this study support the hypotheses that distractions have a major prevalence among bike users, and that they play a significant role in the prediction of the traffic crash rates of cyclists, through the mediation of risky behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio A Useche
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,DATS-INTRAS, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Francisco Alonso
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,DATS-INTRAS, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Luis Montoro
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,FACTHUM.Lab-INTRAS, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Cristina Esteban
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,DATS-INTRAS, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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Zanotto M, Winters ML. Helmet Use Among Personal Bicycle Riders and Bike Share Users in Vancouver, BC. Am J Prev Med 2017; 53:465-472. [PMID: 28669565 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Revised: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Public bike share users have low prevalence of helmet use, and few public bike share systems make helmets available. In summer 2016, a public bike share system launched in Vancouver, BC. Each bicycle is equipped with a free helmet, in response to BC's all-ages compulsory helmet law. This study assessed the prevalence of helmet use among adult cyclists on personal and public bicycles in Vancouver. METHODS A survey of adult cyclists (age estimated at ≥16 years) at five screen line sites and at 15 public bike share docking stations was conducted. Observations were made on fair weather days in 2016. Observers recorded the gender of the rider, bicycle type, helmet use, and helmet type. In 2016, multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate the odds of helmet use by personal and trip characteristics. RESULTS Observers conducted 87.5 hours of observation and recorded 11,101 cyclists. They observed 10,704 (96.4%) cyclists on personal bicycles and 397 (3.6%) public bicycle users. Overall, the prevalence of helmet use was 78.1% (n=8,670/11,101), higher for personal bicycle riders (78.6%, n=8,416/10,704) than bike share users (64.0%, n=254/397). Helmet use was associated with gender, bicycle facility type, and day and time of travel. CONCLUSIONS In a city with all-ages helmet legislation, helmet use is high but differs across infrastructure types and cyclist characteristics. Bike share systems could increase helmet use by providing complementary helmets coupled with supportive measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moreno Zanotto
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Meghan L Winters
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
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Fraser M, Meuleners LB, Chow K, Stevenson MR. Distracting and risky behaviours while cycling: a comparison of group and non-group riders in Western Australia. Inj Prev 2017; 24:405-410. [PMID: 28823996 DOI: 10.1136/injuryprev-2017-042397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Use of mobile phones and portable audio equipment and alcohol are known to negatively affect cycling ability. Evidence suggests that cyclists may be less likely to engage in these behaviours while riding in a group; however, it is unknown whether group riders are also at reduced risk when participating in non-group riding. OBJECTIVE To examine the association between group riding participation and the use of mobile phones and portable audio equipment and alcohol while non-group riding in Perth, Western Australia. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis of an online questionnaire was undertaken. Group and exclusive non-group riders were compared and separate binary logistic regression models were used to examine the association between group riding participation and the use of mobile phones and portable audio equipment and alcohol while non-group riding, controlling for gender, age, education and frequency of non-group riding. RESULTS Participants included 365 cyclists: 187 exclusive non-group riders (51.2%) and 178 group riders (48.8%). Group riders were less likely to have possibly cycled while over the legal blood alcohol limit in the past 12 months (OR: 0.56, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.92) and were less likely to ever use portable audio equipment (OR: 0.57, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.94) than exclusive non-group riders, while participating in non-group riding. Group riding status was not associated with mobile phone use. CONCLUSIONS This study provides early evidence that there may be differences between group and non-group riders that impact on their safety behaviours while participating in non-group riding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Fraser
- Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Lynn B Meuleners
- Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Kyle Chow
- Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Mark R Stevenson
- Melbourne School of Design, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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