Factors associated with bicycle-helmet use among 8–16 years aged Turkish children: a questionnaire survey

Effectiveness of bicycle helmets and injury prevention: a systematic review of meta-analyses

To mitigate the risk of injuries, many countries recommend bicycle helmets. The current paper seeks to examine the effectiveness of bicycle helmets by performing a systematic review focusing on meta-analyses. First, the current paper explores the findings of studies that employ meta-analyses using bicycle crash data. Second, the results are discussed considering the findings from research analyzing bicycle helmet effectiveness in a laboratory using simulation, and then are complemented with key methodological papers that address cycling and the overall factors contributing to the injury severity. The examined literature confirms that wearing a helmet while cycling is beneficial, regardless of age, crash severity, or crash type. The relative benefit is found to be higher in high-risk situations and when cycling on shared roads and particularly preventing severe head injuries. The results from the studies performed in laboratories also suggest that the shape and size of the head itself play a role in the protective effects of helmets. However, concerns regarding the equitability of the test conditions were found as all reviewed studies used a fifty-percentile male head and body forms. Lastly, the paper discusses the literature findings in a broader societal context.

Risks for bicycle-related injuries in Al Ain city, United Arab Emirates: An observational study

Traffic-related injuries are a serious health problem. Traffic safety is a priority reflected in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Data on current hazards for bicycle-related injuries from the United Arab Emirates are lacking. The aim of our observational study was to assess the behavior of bicyclists on the roads in Al Ain City, United Arab Emirates and compare our current results with a previous study from 2004.We adapted and tested a structured data collection form. Different sectors of Al Ain were randomly selected to cover the whole city during different times. Bicyclists were observed without direct contact.Out of 1129 bicyclists, 97.6% were males and 13.2% children. 39.4% were cycling on main roads with high-density traffic, 33.1% were cycling against the traffic, 39.3% were cycling at night, and 96.8% of them were not using lights. Only 2.1% of the bicyclists used helmets. A higher proportion of female than male cyclists used helmets (25.9% vs 1.5%; P < .001, Fisher exact test). There was an increase in cycling with the traffic (P < .001) and in use of helmets (P < .025) compared with the previous study.Unsafe practices of bicyclists and low use of helmets despite legislation persist in Al Ain. There is a need to raise bicycle safety awareness and improve enforcement of bicycle helmet legislation. This should be directed toward expatriate workers, children, parents, and maids. Environmental changes, namely building separate bicycle lanes, can increase safety for cycling.

More aware, more protected: a cross-sectional study on road safety skills predicting the use of passive safety elements among Spanish teenagers

OBJECTIVE

This study had two objectives: first, to test the effects of sociodemographic variables, and the effects of three key road safety skills (knowledge-risk perception-attitudes) on the use of passive safety elements (PSEs) among teenagers; and second, to assess the differential impact of the study variables on PSEs use from a gender-based perspective.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

This cross-sectional study was framed in the paradigm of primary care, and it involved students from several educational centres in Spain. A sample of 827 Spanish teenagers (52.4% females and 47.6% males) with a mean age of M=14.41-7 (12-19) years was used.

RESULTS

Through SEM modelling, we found that the use of PSEs is largely explained by psychosocial variables through the mediation of three road safety skills: risk perception (β=0.103^***), rule knowledge (β=0.095^*) and attitudes towards road safety (β=0.186^***). Furthermore, multigroup analyses showed that, although most variables explain the use of PSEs among teenagers in a similar way, key gender-based differences exist in this regard.

CONCLUSIONS

Road safety skills have a significant effect on the use of PSEs among Spanish teenagers, and gender explains some differences in the mechanisms which predict them. Also, in the study we discuss the need for strengthening school-based interventions aimed at helping this vulnerable group of road users acquire and develop positive behavioural competences.

Unsafe riding behaviors of shared-bicycle riders in urban China: A retrospective survey

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.