Bicycle Safety Education Research Articles

TikTok is an effective platform for bicycle safety injury prevention education

Social media is an efficient way to spread information, given its widespread daily use by the general population. While it has been shown that public health information can be rapidly disseminated, whether the newer social media platform, TikTok, is effective for this purpose has yet to be explored. The goal of this study is to determine the effectiveness of TikTok for the public health topic of injury prevention, specifically with regards to bicycling-related safety education. The TikTok account “iBikeSafe” was created to disseminate injury prevention information related to bicycle safety. Data collected was both qualitative (video classification, comment categorization) and quantitative (likes, views, comments). Performance data was compared between TikTok and another video-sharing social media platform (YouTube). Posts that were didactic (or educational) in nature yielded more views, likes, and comments than posts that were fun or casual in nature. Almost half (46%) of comments made by users on iBikeSafe’s TikTok videos were made to constructively further the discussion and to educate others with accurate injury prevention information. Five of the six videos that were adapted from the iBikeSafe YouTube channel for use on TikTok garnered exponentially more views on TikTok (from 118% to 2057%) than on YouTube, despite having less followers/subscribers (759 TikTok vs 977 YouTube) and being in existence for less time (11 months vs 8 years). TikTok is an effective platform for injury prevention education. Didactic posts best provide users with the ability to engage with content and to discuss takeaways, while fun posts keep users active within the platform. Both educational and fun types of videos play an integral role in the effective use of this platform for bicycle safety education. Consideration should be taken into account for the appropriate ratio of didactic versus fun posts for information dissemination in any public health educational campaign making use of this platform.

Inventory of child bicycle education programs reveals need for age, development, and skill-level considerations

Objective: There are a plethora of child bicycle safety education programs worldwide. However, the content and durations vary widely from program to program and no gold standard has been established. The main objective of this project was to create an inventory of youth bicycle safety education programs and their content, approaches, and age and developmental considerations.Methods: Methods used to gather program information included web and online database searches, extraction from personal lists, and a widely distributed online survey. A total of 89 programs met inclusion criteria and were reviewed (78 from the United States and 11 from other countries).Results: Over half (56.2%) of the included programs were not explicitly age specific, meaning that the content was not appropriately designated by age and developmental cut points. Many programs had target age groups, but these were often very wide age ranges (e.g., all elementary school–age children) resulting in content too advanced for the youngest children. Only 12.4% of included programs had published program evaluations and their scientific rigor varied widely. Main results from this inventory revealed a weak evidence base for program effectiveness due to lack of program evaluations. Results also highlighted a need for age, development, and skill-level considerations in youth bicycle education programs.Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive list of program components and approaches that can be used as a foundation upon which child bicycle education standards can be evaluated and built, with the long-term goal of increased childhood safety.

DUI histories in intoxicated injured bicyclists.

It has been well documented that the use of alcohol correlates with injury risk, especially in DUI (driving under the influence) and DWI (driving while intoxicated). Consumption of alcohol in patients presenting with bicycle-related injuries is associated with greater injury severity, longer hospitalization, and higher health care costs. We hypothesized that intoxicated patients operating a bicycle with traumatic injuries have previous DUI or DWI convictions and had lost their privilege to drive a motor vehicle, resorted to bicycling, and had continued alcohol consumption despite negative previous consequences. We retrospectively collected data on injured bicyclists older than 18 years with positive blood alcohol content levels treated from the period January 2009 to June 2014 at a large Level 1 urban trauma center. We then matched each patient by name and date of birth and were able to obtain public criminal records through the Superior Court of California for the local of county. A total of 149 injured bicyclists with positive blood alcohol levels were identified. Their average blood alcohol content was 236.0 mg/dL, and their average age was 41 years. Sixty-six (44.2%) of these patients had prior DUI/DWI convictions with suspension of driving privileges. Ninety-five patients in this group (63.8%) had no health insurance, and 51 patients (34.2%) tested positive for other drugs. Intoxicated bicyclists trended toward longer hospital length compared with nonintoxicated bicyclists (4.60 vs. 3.44 days; p = 0.07). Three (0.02%) of 149 patients were charged with bicycling while intoxicated. Intoxicated bicyclists involved in trauma are more likely to have a previous DUI/DWI, have other drug use, tend to have longer hospital stays, and are less likely to have insurance. Bicycle safety education and behavior modification targeting DUI/DWI offenders are warranted. In order to promote injury prevention, resources to increase awareness of this underestimated public health issue should be promoted. Epidemiologic study, level III.

Expectancy-value theory outcomes of a school-based bicycling programme

Objective: Research on bicycle safety education (BSE) programmes has examined limited factors beyond bicycle safety knowledge. Additionally, evaluations of BSE have not been theoretically grounded. The purpose of this study was to apply expectancy-value theory to examine changes in perceptions of biking competence, bicycling enjoyment, and value of bicycling as broader outcomes of BSE beyond bicycle safety knowledge. Design: Pre–post programme survey. Setting: Fifth-grade students participating in a one-week BSE programme. Method: Participants (N = 130) completed assessments of programme outcomes (bicycle safety knowledge, perceived bicycling competence, enjoyment, and value) and predictors of outcomes (perceived support). Results: Knowledge of bicycle safety, perceived bicycling competence, bicycling enjoyment, and value of bicycling increased significantly (p < .05). Perceptions of support for bicycling predicted increases in the perceptions of competence, enjoyment, and value of bicycling (p < .05), but no study variables predicted increases in knowledge. Conclusion: The BSE programme not only increased general bicycle safety knowledge but also other key theoretical outcomes relevant to physical activity. Autonomy support predicted positive outcomes, highlighting a key factor to be incorporated in future education programmes. Perceived parental support predicted student perceptions of competence, enjoyment, and value of bicycling, highlighting the potential of also involving parents in school-based programmes to leverage their influential role in shaping motivational outcomes.

Evaluating traffic informers: Testing the behavioral and social-cognitive effects of an adolescent bicycle safety education program

In The Netherlands, 12–24 years old are over-represented in the total number of traffic fatalities and injuries. In this study, the traffic informer program – designed to promote safe traffic behavior in the pre-driver population – was experimentally evaluated, with a specific focus on bicycle use. Students were subjected to graphic videos of traffic accidents and listened to a first-person narrative provided by a traffic accident victim. The influence of the program on concepts derived from the theory of planned behavior and protection motivation theory (attitudes, norms, self-efficacy, risk-perception, intention and behavior) was assessed. Students from various schools (N=1593;M age=15 years, SD=.84) participated in a quasi-experimental study, either in an experimental or a control group, completing self-report questionnaires one week prior to the program implementation and approximately one month after the program implementation. Mixed regression analyses showed significant positive and negative time×intervention interaction effects on attitude toward traffic violations, relative attitude toward traffic safety, and risk comparison, but not on intention and behavior. More research is needed to find effective behavioral change techniques (other than increasing risk awareness) for promoting safe traffic behavior in adolescents. Research is also needed to address how these can be translated into effective interventions and educational programs.

BikeSafe: Evaluating a bicycle safety program for middle school aged children

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to measure the effectiveness of a bicycle safety education curriculum for middle school age children in order to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities of bicyclists hit by cars in Miami-Dade County. MethodsThe University of Miami BikeSafe® program includes a four day off-bike middle school curriculum that follows a train-the-trainer model, where a small number of staff trains a larger group of grades 6th–8th physical education teachers from various schools to teach the bike safety curriculum to their students. Subjects in this study included 193 students from 18 classes (3 per school) at 6 selected middle schools. Measures included a knowledge assessment of the curriculum that was administered to students pre- and post-curriculum implementation. Data were collected and analyzed with school and class period examined as predictors of post-score. ResultsA significant difference (p<.001) was found between pre- and post-test conditions across all subjects. In addition, there was no significant difference between testing from class periods (p>.05), suggesting that a standard intervention was applied. ConclusionThe BikeSafe educational curriculum was found to improve the bike safety knowledge of middle school aged children. Future efforts will focus on sustaining and expanding this program throughout Miami-Dade County and other high risk communities.

Study on bicycle safety education effect which focused on dangerous action

Study on bicycle safety education effect which focused on dangerous action

Letter: Children's bicycle safety education does not reduce injuries

Learning to ride a bicycle is a common and joyful experience of childhood (up to 68% of children reported riding a bicycle in a two-week period) that has many health benefits. However, children have the highest bicycle-related injury rates compared to other age groups. In NSW, bicycle injury-related hospitalisations in people aged 5-14 years account for approximately half of all bicycle injury-related hospitalisations. A typical bicycle education program for children will involve a one-session program focusing on safe cycling information, with some time allocated to practising safe cycling skills. However, these programs have not been well documented or evaluated. We conducted a pilot study investigating the effectiveness of a bicycle education program in increasing safe cycling knowledge and behaviour in the Macarthur area of south-west Sydney.

A Controlled Trial of a Novel Primary Prevention Program for Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Illnesses

To evaluate a theory-based educational program to prevent Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses (TBI), a randomized controlled trial of an educational program was delivered to ferry passengers traveling to an endemic area in southeastern Massachusetts. Rates of TBI and precautionary and tick check behaviors were measured over three summers in 30,164 passengers. There were lower rates of TBI among participants receiving TBI education compared with control participants receiving bicycle safety education (relative risk [RR] = 0.79) and a 60% reduction in risk among those receiving TBI education who visited Nantucket Island for more than 2 weeks compared to control participants (RR = 0.41, 95% confidence intervals = 0.18 to 0.95, p < .038). TBI-educated participants were also significantly more likely to take precautions (use repellent, protective clothing, limit time in tick areas) and check themselves for ticks. The study demonstrates that a theory-based Lyme disease prevention program can increase precautionary behavior and result in a significant reduction in TBI.

Prospects for Bicycle Safety Education

A rationale is presented for why bicycle safety education may be more effective at reducing injuries than was the case for driver training. In contrast to the licensing exams and widespread knowledge that make driver training generally redundant, there are no requirements and little general knowledge for cycling; bicycle safety education programs can improve the skills and knowledge of cyclists. The results of an observational study of middle school children and a questionnaire study of adults are consistent with previous suggestions that cycle safety classes can change cyclist behavior and reduce crash risk.

Getting to the root of trauma in Canada's Aboriginal population

<i>Objectives</i>—To evaluate possible benefits of a school based bicycle safety education program (“Bike Ed”) on the risk of bicycle injury in children. <i>Methods</i>—A population based case-control study was undertaken in a region of Melbourne, Australia. Cases were children presenting at hospital emergency departments with injuries received while riding bicycles. Controls were recruited by calling randomly selected telephone numbers. Data were collected by personal interview. <i>Results</i>—Analysis, based on 148 cases and 130 controls aged 9 to 14 years, showed no evidence of a protective effect and suggested a possible harmful effect of exposure to the bicycle safety course (odds ratio (OR) 1.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98 to 2.75). This association was not substantially altered by adjustment for sex, age, socioeconomic status, and exposure, measured as time or distance travelled. Subgroup analysis indicated that the association was strongest in boys (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.8), younger children, children from families with lower parental education levels, and children lacking other family members who bicycle. <i>Conclusions</i>—It is concluded that this educational intervention does not reduce the risk of bicycle injury in children and may possibly produce harmful effects in some children, perhaps due to inadvertent encouragement of risk taking or of bicycling with inadequate supervision.

A Bicycle Safety Education Program for Parents of Young Children

This study examined parental perceptions of the benefits and barriers to bicycle helmet use and their level of knowledge about bicycle safety issues. A school-based bicycle safety education program was taught to first- and second-grade students in a rural/suburban school district by a graduate nursing student. Pender’s Health Promotion Model was the theoretical framework used to guide this research study. A parent Bicycle Helmet Questionnaire (BHQ) developed by the author was the tool used to gather data. The study determined that parents of children in schools that received the educational intervention prior to completing the questionnaire had significantly higher knowledge level scores and that the majority of parents were in favor of bicycle helmet legislation for children. The implications from this research study include the importance of bicycle safety education interventions for students and parents and the need to implement bicycle helmet legislation.

"Troo, the Traumaroo" bicycle and playground safety program: a pilot study of kindergarten through second graders in the southwest.

"Troo, the Traumaroo" bicycle and playground safety education program created for kindergarten, first, and second grade students, was provided to a convenience sample of seven elementary schools in a Southwestern city. Favorable principal, classroom teacher, and school nurse evaluations indicated that the "Troo, the Traumaroo" program was successful in providing young children with bicycle and playground safety in a fun and entertaining way. Results of this pilot study indicated that kindergarten children pre-tested for bicycle safety knowledge prior to participating in the program, had significantly higher bicycle safety knowledge scores 30 days after participating in the program (p < .0001).

School based bicycle safety education and bicycle injuries in children: a case-control study

Objectives—To evaluate possible benefits of a school based bicycle safety education program (“Bike Ed”) on the risk of bicycle injury in children. Methods—A population based case-control study was undertaken in...

The MORE HEALTH Bicycle Safety Project

A K-2 MORE HEALTH bicycle safety education program was provided in nine elementary schools in Hillsborough County, Florida. This innovative community program consisted of interactive education sessions and reduced-cost bicycle helmet sales. Evaluation of the pilot program showed that it affected helmet use in the intervention schools compared to nine other schools that served as controls. More than 1,000 helmets were distributed through the bicycle helmet sales. Approximately 3,500 children participated in the education sessions. The preprogram helmet use rate among all schools was 8.5%. Postprogram results showed that the helmet use rate among intervention schools was significantly greater than among control schools (p < .01). This report describes the MORE HEALTH bicycle helmet promotion program.

Association Between Bicycle Helmet Legislation, Bicycle Safety Education, and Use of Bicycle Helmets in Children

To determine the association between bicycle helmet legislation and bicycle safety education and the use of bicycle helmets by children under age 16 years. Anonymous questionnaire and direct observations of bicycle helmet use. Four predominantly white, upper-middle class suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. All students in grades 1 through 7 attending public school on the day of the survey and children riding bicycles in a direct observational study. Beachwood had bicycle helmet legislation and safety education. Orange had only bicycle helmet legislation. Pepper Pike and Moreland Hills did not have bicycle helmet legislation or safety education. In Beachwood, 416 (67.6%) of 615 children who owned a bicycle reported always wearing their helmets, and 72 (85%) of 85 children directly observed were wearing bicycle helmets. In Orange, 103 (37.2%) of 277 children who owned bicycles reported always wearing helmets, whereas 41 (17.9%) of 229 children in Moreland Hills and 78 (21.5%) of 362 children in Pepper Pike reported always wearing helmets. Helmet use was significantly (P < .001) higher in Beachwood, with legislation and education, than in the other communities; helmet use was significantly (P < .001) higher in Orange, with legislation alone, than in Moreland Hills and Pepper Pike, with no programs. There was a dramatic association between reports of increased helmet use and bicycle helmet legislation plus education; the association was stronger than that found with legislation only.

Fatal bicycle accidents in children: A plea for prevention

We reviewed the coroner's records of all fatal bicycle accidents occurring in children (aged 0 to 15 years) in Ontario (pediatric population, 2,007,230) between January 1, 1985 and December 31, 1989. The injuries sustained were documented and scored with anatomical injury scores (Abbreviated Injury Score 1985 and Injury Severity Score) and categorized as unsurvivable or survivable. The causes and circumstances were documented from police accident reports. Eighty-one deaths resulted from bicycle accidents, an annual mortality rate of 1.44 deaths per 100,000 children per year. In 74 (91%) of these cases the injuries were deemed unsurvivable, 89% of which were head injuries. Seventy-eight (96%) of the deaths resulted from collisions with motor vehicles. No victim was wearing a helmet at the time of injury. In 70% of the deaths, the cyclist was considered to have caused the collision, either because of a violation of a road traffic law or poor road sense. These findings suggest that more emphasis should be placed on primary and secondary injury prevention by such methods as bicycle safety education for children and the promotion of bike helmet use. In addition, in view of the high incidence of unsurvivable head injury, the introduction of legislation requiring the use of protective helmets should be considered.