Cyclists Research Articles

Behaviour of motorcyclists and bicyclists before and after a road safety campaign, China.

To examine changes in red-light running and distracted riding among motorcyclists and cyclists before and after the 2020 implementation of the One Helmet, One Seatbelt campaign in China. We obtained 192 hours of film before (2019) and after (2021) implementation of the campaign in eight road intersections in Changsha. We calculated percentages and ratios of red-light running and distracted riding. To assess the associations between these traffic behaviours and the campaign, we used multivariable logistic regression models to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR). We filmed 5256 motorcyclists and cyclists in 2019 and 6269 in 2021. Red-light running decreased from 45.1% to 41.5% during this period (ratio: 0.92; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.88-0.96), while distracted riding increased from 3.5% to 5.0% (ratio: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.19-1.69). After adjusting for covariates, male riders were more likely to run a red light compared to female riders (aOR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.06-1.55). Red-light running was also more likely among electric bicycle riders (aOR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.10-1.95) and motorcyclists (aOR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.13-1.90) compared to traditional cyclists. All types of riders were less prone to run a red light during peak hours than off-peak hours (aOR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.73-0.99). Distracted riding was more common on weekends compared to weekdays (aOR: 3.01; 95% CI: 2.02-4.49). China's national road safety campaign, which focuses on helmet and seatbelt use, was associated with reduced red-light running. Strict enforcement and targeted modifications could improve the campaign's effectiveness.

Safety Insights from E-Scooter Rider and Bicyclist Behavior Observations in Two U.S. Cities

E-scooters, a novel micromobility mode, have transformed U.S. transportation in urban cores, offering potential advantages like cost-effective mobility, congestion reduction, community accessibility, and lower emissions. However, owing to their novelty, their associated safety impacts and rider behaviors remain uncertain, complicating policy formulation. Specifically, e-scooter policy often mirrors bicycle policy, yet there have been few studies that have explicitly investigated how e-scooter and bicycle rider behaviors compare. This research investigated rider behavior relative to infrastructure by examining riding patterns through a video-based platform on 26 Nashville and Portland streets, offering insights on e-scooter and bicyclist behaviors, including riding location and helmet use. This study differs from other observational studies since it covers longer observation periods than prior in-person studies, including nighttime riding behavior. The video analysis also allows for observations of basic demographic characteristics. The findings revealed that bike lanes were well-used and dramatically reduced sidewalk riding and general travel lane usage. Without bike lanes, riders typically resorted to using sidewalks on high-capacity roads and sharing lanes with vehicles on low-capacity streets. The data also suggested demographic trends, such as riskier behavior among younger, male riders, and low helmet usage among e-scooter riders. The results emphasize the need for micromobility-supportive infrastructure in road design to encourage safer riding practices.

Children’s Guerrilla Play and Dirt Jumps: Parkland as Contested Space During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Australia

AbstractIn 2020-21 the Victorian state government in Australia imposed 262 days of sustained lockdown on Melbourne’s population in a bid to contain the COVID pandemic. These lockdowns, among the longest in the world, affected young people especially. Children were subjected to months of curfews, home schooling using digital platforms and severe travel. Nonetheless some children engaged repeatedly in autonomous and well co-ordinated efforts to construct dirt jumps and ride their bikes in urban public parklands in eastern Melbourne. This article is mindful of a long tradition of scholarly work tracing the ways young people have used public space, and contested ‘adultist’ representations of them and regulations affecting the use of public space. We address three questions: Why and how did children design, construct and use dirt bike jumps during the COVID pandemic in public parklands? How did Victorian local councils and others like police, older residents and mainstream media respond to children’s construction of DIY dirt jumps? How were these spontaneous DIY dirt jumps understood by Victorian local councils? Adopting a composite case study method and employing a relational perspective, we draw on images, participant observation, field notes, documents and webpage analysis to answer the research questions. We document how children used urban parklands to hang out, to onstruct and use bike jumps during the lockdowns. We show how they challenged adult representations of themselves and public space which depicted their bike riding and the jump making as anti-social and illegal. Meanwhile local governments continued through the COVID-19 pandemic to proclaim the value of ‘youth participation.’ When that youth participation involved young people initiating and managing projects themselves, their conduct was deemed unlawful as councils continued denying them any meaningful opportunities to exercise autonomy, or have say in important policy decisions. In the final section of the article say why providing insider accounts of what happens is useful for good policy-making and professional practice.

Research on the Location Selection Problem of Electric Bicycle Battery Exchange Cabinets Based on an Improved Immune Algorithm

The rise of new energy technologies has accelerated progress towards sustainable development, and many companies are beginning to invest in renewable resource-related facilities. Electric bicycles have always been an important mode of green transportation; however, they also have problems such as slow charging, difficult charging, and that burning and short circuiting may occur during charging. Electric bicycle battery exchange cabinets effectively solve these problems by exchanging low batteries with full batteries instead of charging. However, current battery exchange cabinets face the problems of insufficient construction and unreasonable site selection. Therefore, this paper proposes a location selection model for electric bicycle battery exchange cabinets based on point demand theory, aiming to maximize rider satisfaction and the service capacity of exchange cabinets. The immune algorithm is introduced to solve the location model; however, the traditional immune algorithm has some problems such as poor stability and slow convergence. In this paper, the mutation process of the traditional immune algorithm is improved by introducing multi-point mutation, guided mutation, and local search. Finally, based on the data of electric bicycle riders in Shanghai, we verify that the location model based on point demand theory performs well on two objective functions of rider satisfaction and battery exchange cabinet service capability. We also expand the application of point demand theory to location models. Then, by conducting experiments with different parameter groups, through sensitivity analysis and convergence analysis, we verified that the improved immune algorithm performs better than the traditional immune algorithm in its accuracy, search accuracy, stability, and convergence.

Aggression of electric bike riders in China: comparisons of the Cycling Anger Expression Inventory toward drivers, pedestrians, and other riders

ABSTRACT Electric bikes (e-bikes) account for an unexpected proportion of traffic crash injuries and deaths in China. There is an urgent need to study the factors influencing the aggressive behaviours of e-bike riders and reduce their potential involvement in crashes. In addition, aggression varies when directed at different types of road users, particularly when expressed by vulnerable groups. This study aimed to validate the Cycling Anger Expression Inventory (CAX) for e-bikers and explore whether the expression of aggression in e-bikers differs depending on the recipients, such as drivers, pedestrians, or other riders. The analysis examined the aggression specificity of e-bikers by employing tests of measurement invariance (MI). These findings indicate that adaptive/constructive expression has emerged as a mainstream strategy for managing e-biker anger. E-bikers exhibited the highest levels of aggression toward drivers. These results provide a strong basis for the prevention and intervention of aggression and accidents among Chinese e-bikers.

Work-related road traffic accidents: emergence of new modes of personal journey – analysis based on data from a register of road traffic accidents in France

IntroductionAccording to the 2018–2019 People Mobility Survey, work-related journeys (commuting and on-duty journeys) account for approximately 25% of all journeys. The use of non-motorised (nm) and motorised (m) personal mobility...

Design and Implementation of an Active Prosthetic Ankle and Adaptive Equipment for Bike Riding In Lower Limb Amputees

Lower limb amputees often face challenges in regaining mobility andparticipating in physical activities such as bike riding. Existing prosthetic systemsstrive to replicatehuman locomotion; however, conventional prostheticfeetutilized in India typically feature stationary ankles. Despite advancements inprosthetic technology, including hydraulic or externally powered systems, thesesolutions fail to meet the practical requirements of motorcycle riding for thispatient population. To address this issue, this study proposes a cost-effectivesolutioninvolvingthemodificationofmotorcycleswithleft-handthumb-controlledgearshiftingandfore footup-and-downmotion.Thisinnovativeapproach aims to improve mobility and alleviate discomfort for lower limbamputees,facilitatingtheirengagementinmotorcycletransportationwithgreatereaseandsafety.

Do two-wheeler riders propel towards autonomous driving? A path-based probabilistic study in Indian context

Regardless of the rational benefits of autonomous vehicle adoption towards mitigating mobility goals in urban and sub-urban areas of middle-income countries, adoption of such technology remains thought-provoking. Two wheeled vehicles are often utilized extensively all over the world for short distance trips in sub-urban areas. The present study investigates perceived risks of using four wheeled autonomous vehicles by captive two-wheeler riders for long and short distance trips in densely populated Indian cities. Theoretical autonomous vehicle technology acceptance models were modified considering Indian perceptions in this study. Offline stated preference responses were collected from various universities, open public spaces and governmental organizations of various cities within India. Structural equation models (SEM) and Random Forest (RF) were employed to generate meaningful insights from the surveys conducted. Random Forest (RF) analysis concluded that bicycle riders show medium to low levels of trust towards behavioural adoption intention of autonomous vehicles. According to proposed structural equation models, interest to adopt or willingness to buy autonomous vehicles for two wheeled vehicle users is mostly influenced by perceived trust and risk rather than perceived concerns/benefits for middle and old age groups in India. Perceived ease of use has the most significant marginal effects on two-wheeler riders' perceived risks towards autonomous vehicle adoption, which accounted for more than 20 % of unexplained variance. Results from this research may offer insightful diversity of attitudes towards adoption of autonomous vehicle technologies in India through the means of increased efficiency and reduced travel time and costs along with riders’ risks towards privacy and safety.

Pediatric sport and nonsport concussions presenting to emergency departments: injury circumstances, characteristics, and clinical management.

The aim of this study was to compare injury circumstances, characteristics, and clinical management of emergency department (ED) presentations for sports-related concussion (SRC) and non-SRC. This multicenter prospective observational study identified patients 5-17 years old who presented to EDs within 24 hours of head injury, with one or more signs or symptoms of concussion. Participants had a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13-15 and no abnormalities on CT (if performed). Data were stratified by age: young children (5-8 years), older children (9-12 years), and adolescents (13-17 years). Of 4709 patients meeting the concussion criteria, non-SRC accounted for 56.3% of overall concussions, including 80.9% of younger child, 51.1% of older child, and 37.0% of adolescent concussions. The most common mechanism of non-SRC was falls for all ages. The most common activity accounting for SRC was bike riding for younger children, and rugby for older children and adolescents. Concussions occurring in sports areas, home, and educational settings accounted for 26.2%, 21.8%, and 19.0% of overall concussions. Concussions occurring in a sports area increased with age, while occurrences in home and educational settings decreased with age. The presence of amnesia significantly differed for SRC and non-SRC for all age groups, while vomiting and disorientation differed for older children and adolescents. Adolescents with non-SRC were admitted to a ward and underwent CT at higher proportions than those with SRC. Non-SRC more commonly presented to EDs overall, with SRC more common with increasing age. These data provide important information to inform public health policies, guidelines, and prevention efforts.

Bicycle rider evaluations of an intersection safety alert system: Learnings for similar technologies from a field trial

Bicycle-mounted crash avoidance technologies have been developed to improve cyclist safety. However, their effectiveness in alerting cyclists of potential dangers and the preferences of cyclists regarding the types and mechanisms of receiving alerts have not been examined extensively in field trials. To address this gap, this paper aims to understand how safety alerts are best communicated to cyclists. This aim was achieved by undertaking a field trial of a smartphone app, which was the user interface of an innovative Intersection Safety Alert System (ISAS). A total of 38 participants rode bicycles equipped with the ISAS in a 2-day field trial in downtown Melbourne, Australia, and then completed a technology acceptance survey. The survey data were analysed using statistical and thematic analysis methods to derive insights on how cycling safety technologies should be designed to ensure a good level of user acceptance. Results showed that cyclists would be willing to use or recommend a safety app that is free from privacy or security concerns, be able to provide alerts that can effectively notify about dangerous situations, and be effective in improving the safety for the whole cycling community. Cyclists preferred to receive simple and clear safety alerts that provided information on high-risk locations and the nature of dangers through an easy-to-use user interface that runs in the background and communicates with other cycling and navigational apps. They wanted the alerts to convey real-time and non-obvious traffic conditions and unpredictable movements of other road users. Preferences and comments regarding auditory, visual and haptic modalities of presenting alerts differed among riders.

Accustomed or Regulated: Influencing factors of two-wheeler riders’ illegal Lane-Transgressing behavior when overtaking

Illegal lane-transgressing is a typical aberrant riding behavior of riders of two-wheelers, i.e., motorcycles, bicycles, and e-bikes, which is highly frequent in accident reports. However, there is insufficient attention to this behavior at present. This study aims to explore the socio-psychologic factors that influence the illegal lane-transgressing behavior of two-wheeler riders when overtaking. For this purpose, a questionnaire was first composed. The questionnaire included the behavioral intention of two-wheeler riders towards illegal overtaking behavior and five influencing factors: safety knowledge, descriptive norms, injunctive norms, perceived behavior control, and risk perception. Second, a survey was conducted on different two-wheeler riders in Xi’an. Third, various types of two-wheelers were analyzed jointly and separately by structural equation models and analyses of variance. Results show that e-bike riders were more similar to motorcycle riders in behavioral intentions, with their risk perception weaker than other riders. Descriptive norms and perceived behavior control played the most significant roles in the structural equation model. It was also found that two-wheeler riders with a car license had better traffic safety performance. Based on the above results, it is recommended that attention be paid to illegal lane-transgression in the process of law enforcement and education, and a higher level of safety training should be provided for two-wheeler riders.

Qualitative perspectives of bike share schemes in Melbourne, Australia

BackgroundBike share schemes are operational in many countries and aim to encourage modal shift from sedentary to active modes of transport. Understanding user experiences of bike share schemes can contribute to knowledge of motivations to use the schemes and barriers to use. Qualitative research into user experiences of bike share schemes in Australia has been conducted in Brisbane but not Melbourne, and most bike share scheme research is non-peer reviewed literature. This study describes experiences of bike share schemes in Melbourne. MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 bike riders in Melbourne, Australia some of whom used bike share schemes and some who did not. Interviewees were asked about their experiences using bike share schemes in Melbourne. ResultsBike share schemes provide a way for non-users to try bike riding without needing to purchase a bicycle. E-bike schemes are beneficial to people with health issues. User experiences of bike share schemes are not only related to the service itself, but also interactions with other road users and the overall bike riding environment. Mandatory helmet legislation was a barrier to using bike share schemes due to hygiene and convenience concerns. ConclusionsBike share schemes act as an entry to bike riding for people who do not own a bicycle. E-bike fleets are more accessible to people with health or mobility issues. Mandatory helmet legislation could be limiting bike riding's mode share in Melbourne. These findings are relevant to policy makers aiming to increase bike riding's mode share, introduce or expand bike share schemes or mandatory helmet legislation, or a combination of the two.

BIKE RIDER SAFETY SYSTEM USING STM 32 MICROCONTROLLER

This study focuses on the development of an innovative safety jacket designed for horse riders, high-altitude workers, and particularly two- wheeler riders to mitigate the impact of accidents and enhance life-saving measures. Given the high incidence of road accidents in India, with 499,628 reported in 2010 leading to 134,513 fatalities and over 500,000 injuries, the need for improved safety mechanisms is critical. The proposed safety jacket integrates a micro controller-based system to detect falls and trigger an emergency response, inflating air cushions around the jacket to cushion impacts. Additionally, the system incorporates an alcohol sensor and a helmet detection sensor to ensure the bike starts only if the rider is sober and wearing a helmet. Visibility issues for riders are also addressed, with the jacket featuring turn indicators and other visibility enhancements to alert other road users. The jacket is designed to be water-resistant and washable, ensuring durability and ease of maintenance. The Bike Rider Safety System (BRSS) further enhances safety through real-time monitoring and adaptive response to potential hazards, using accelerometer, gyroscopes, and proximity sensors. The Arduino-based system comprises four main functionalities: helmet and alcohol detection, accident detection, airbag deployment, and live location transmission to authorities. In summary, the smart jacket aims to significantly reduce the risks faced by riders by incorporating advanced technology and a robust design to ensure their safety on the road.

Lateral Rectus Muscle Entrapment in Complex Orbital Fracture in a Child.

A 6-year-old boy presented with a lateral rectus muscle entrapment in a complex orbital fracture sustained during bicycle riding. He was diagnosed with a skull-base fracture with pneumocephalus and zygomatic and inferior orbital wall fractures at another hospital. The zygomatic fracture and pneumocephalus were treated conservatively. Although a detailed ocular motility examination could not be performed due to pain and inability to open the eyelid, the inferior wall fracture was surgically repaired. Postoperatively, persistent extraocular movement limitation prompted a referral to our clinic. Orbital CT imaging demonstrated a fracture at the greater wing of the sphenoid with a hypoattenuated area in the adjacent middle cranial fossa. Orbital MRI taken thereafter revealed lateral rectus and orbital fat prolapse into the middle cranial fossa, indicating entrapment of these structures through the lateral wall fracture. The incarcerated lateral rectus was released using an endoscopic transorbital approach via an upper lid crease, resulting in the recovery of extraocular movement.

Analysis of factors influencing the degree of accidental injury of bicycle riders considering data heterogeneity and imbalance.

Bicycle safety has emerged as a pressing concern within the vulnerable transportation community. Numerous studies have been conducted to identify the significant factors that contribute to the severity of cyclist injuries, yet the findings have been subject to uncertainty due to unobserved heterogeneity and class imbalance. This research aims to address these issues by developing a model to examine the impact of key factors on cyclist injury severity, accounting for data heterogeneity and imbalance. To incorporate unobserved heterogeneity, a total of 3,895 bicycle accidents were categorized into three homogeneous sub-accident clusters using Latent Class Cluster Analysis (LCA). Additionally, five over-sampling techniques were employed to mitigate the effects of data imbalance in each accident cluster category. Subsequently, Bayesian Network (BN) structure learning algorithms were utilized to construct 32 BN models after pairing the accident data from the four accident cluster types before and after sampling. The optimal BN models for each accident cluster type provided insights into the key factors associated with cyclist injury severity. The results indicate that the key factors influencing serious cyclist injuries vary heterogeneously across different accident clusters. Female cyclists, adverse weather conditions such as rain and snow, and off-peak periods were identified as key factors in several subclasses of accident clusters. Conversely, factors such as the week of the accident, characteristics of the trafficway, the season, drivers failing to yield to the right-of-way, distracted cyclists, and years of driving experience were found to be key factors in only one subcluster of accident clusters. Additionally, factors such as the time of the crash, gender of the cyclist, and weather conditions exhibit varying levels of heterogeneity across different accident clusters, and in some cases, exhibit opposing effects.

Safety-in-Numbers for route choice of bicycle trips: A choice experiment approach for commuters

Safety-in-Numbers (SiN) implies that the risk of collision per road user is less when there are more road users. Although the available literature has confirmed the existence of SiN as an objective measure of safety, the effect on perceived safety, especially in the context of bicycle riders, has received much less attention. This study investigates the SiN effect on the perceived safety of bicycle riders that influences route choice behavior. A stated preference survey was performed in the South Delhi district of Delhi. The effect of attributes like posted speed limit, the volume of motorized traffic, bicycle infrastructure, and bicycle traffic/ crowding on route choice behavior was investigated. A binary logit model was developed to quantify the effect of these attributes on route choice. The results indicate that, in general, riders prefer routes with more bicycle traffic, hence validating SiN. But the effect does not always hold. For some riders, in the presence of dedicated bicycle infrastructure, when the perceived safety is higher, the presence of more bicycle traffic acts as crowding and demotivates riders to choose that route. The study also reveals that riders prefer routes with a low volume of motorized traffic and dedicated bicycle infrastructure. The outcomes suggest that a policy that encourages infrastructural development to provide lateral separation will encourage more people, hence increasing bicycle mode share as well as the perceived safety of riders.

Tourist cycling trips in the tropics; The ideological landscape of recreational bike rides in the former Netherlands East Indies at the end of the nineteenth century

Tourist cycling trips in the tropics; The ideological landscape of recreational bike rides in the former Netherlands East Indies at the end of the nineteenth century

Covid-19 restrictions and transport sector in Sub-Saharan Africa: insights from Douala City, Cameroon

The transportation industry is a key player in shaping today’s economy and society, but the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 drastically reduced services as governments implemented containment measures which drastically reduced services offered by transportation systems. Developed countries are already analyzing the pandemic's impact on transportation and proposing sustainable solutions. However, little is known about how developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, with high urban population densities and unique mobility patterns, have responded. This study focuses on Cameroon, specifically Douala city, to examine the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on mobility patterns, transport operators, and provide recommendations to transport authorities in responding to future pandemics in the region. Interviews with 190 key informants, including taxi, bus drivers, and bike riders revealed a significant decrease in passenger demand, lower occupancy rates, reduced intra-urban and inter-urban mobility, and financial struggles for drivers, leading to layoffs. The study underscores the need for collaboration among stakeholders in the transport sector, involving public transport operators, government agents, policy makers, and the civil society in decision-making to create sustainable solutions for future pandemics.

The effects of ambient temperature on road traffic injuries in Jinan city: a time-stratified case-crossover study based on distributed lag nonlinear model.

The impact of climate change, especially extreme temperatures, on health outcomes has become a global public health concern. Most previous studies focused on the impact of disease incidence or mortality, whereas much less has been done on road traffic injuries (RTIs). This study aimed to explore the effects of ambient temperature, particularly extreme temperature, on road traffic deaths in Jinan city. Daily data on road traffic deaths and meteorological factors were collected among all residents in Jinan city during 2011-2020. We used a time-stratified case-crossover design with distributed lag nonlinear model to evaluate the association between daily mean temperature, especially extreme temperature and road traffic deaths, and its variation in different subgroups of transportation mode, adjusting for meteorological confounders. A total of 9,794 road traffic deaths were collected in our study. The results showed that extreme temperatures were associated with increased risks of deaths from road traffic injuries and four main subtypes of transportation mode, including walking, Bicycle, Motorcycle and Motor vehicle (except motorcycles), with obviously lag effects. Meanwhile, the negative effects of extreme high temperatures were significantly higher than those of extreme low temperatures. Under low-temperature exposure, the highest cumulative lag effect of 1.355 (95% CI, 1.054, 1.742) for pedal cyclists when cumulated over lag 0 to 6 day, and those for pedestrians, motorcycles and motor vehicle occupants all persisted until 14 days, with ORs of 1.227 (95% CI, 1.102, 1.367), 1.453 (95% CI, 1.214, 1.740) and 1.202 (95% CI, 1.005, 1.438), respectively. Under high-temperature exposure, the highest cumulative lag effect of 3.106 (95% CI, 1.646, 5.861) for motorcycle occupants when cumulated over lag 0 to 12 day, and those for pedestrian, pedal cyclists, and motor vehicle accidents all peaked when persisted until 14 days, with OR values of 1.638 (95% CI, 1.281, 2.094), 2.603 (95% CI, 1.695, 3.997) and 1.603 (95% CI, 1.066, 2.411), respectively. This study provides evidence that ambient temperature is significantly associated with the risk of road traffic injuries accompanied by obvious lag effect, and the associations differ by the mode of transportation. Our findings help to promote a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between temperature and road traffic injuries, which can be used to establish appropriate public health policies and targeted interventions.

Future of E-Bikes on Public Lands: A Human Factors Field Study at Minute Man National Historical Park

Electric-assist bicycles (e-bikes) are growing in popularity, and their use has increased on public lands managed by federal, state, and local agencies in the United States. Evaluation of e-bike use on public lands is hindered by a dearth of scientific research, as noted in a prior literature review completed by the study team. This paper presents the results of a human factors field study that evaluated participant speed and behavior on an unpaved, multiuse trail to answer research questions about trail user safety and social interaction. The study concludes that e-bike riders travel approximately 1 to 2 mph faster than conventional bike riders on average, but that individuals’ speeds among conventional and e-bike riders are widely distributed and overwhelmingly overlap, including at the upper and lower extremes. The sex of the rider predicts a greater difference in speed than whether they are using a conventional or an e-bike. The study also found conventional and e-bike riders generally reduce speed in areas of potential conflict and exhibit similar precautionary behaviors when passing other trail users and when crossing trail junctions and vehicle paths. Public lands managers can use these results to inform their decisions about managing e-bike use on multiuse trails with similar characteristics.