Awareness, riding behaviors, and legislative attitudes toward electric bikes among two types of road users: An investigation in Tianjin, a municipality in China

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to understand the awareness, riding behaviors, and legislative attitudes of electric bike (e-bike) users and non-e-bike road users toward e-bikes in Tianjin, a municipality in China.

Methods: This cross-sectional investigation included 2 components. The field survey was conducted in 9 districts (4 urban and 5 rural) from 2015 to 2017. Adult participants were interviewed using a street intercept method. The online survey was conducted using the WeChat social platform. A series of questions related to awareness and practice of e-bike safety-related issues was asked.

Results: A total of 16,859 interviews were completed, including 1,653 (794 e-bike users and 859 other road users) in-person interviews by field survey and 15,206 (4,426 e-bike users and 10,780 other road users) by online survey. Except for ignoring a red light when making a left turn (P = .000) and waiting across the white line at a red light (P = .000), which e-bike users were lower than other road users, there were no significant differences between e-bike users and other road users in regards to the correct awareness rate of riding in the opposite direction, riding in a motor vehicle lane, running red lights, jaywalking, speeding, carrying adult passengers, and riding on the expressway (P > .05). In addition, 74.2% of e-bike users considered helmet use necessary (P = .000) and 54.7% thought that installing a windshield is wrong (P = .000), which was higher than other road users (49.1 and 48.4%, respectively). Other road users had greater awareness than e-bike users regarding whether turning left at a red light is wrong (91.7 vs. 85.1%), waiting across the white line when the light is red is wrong (86.6 vs. 75.9%), lighs should be turned on at night (94.8 vs. 90.3%). Correct practices were far behind awareness in all kinds of violation behaviors (P = .000) among e-bike users in the field survey. The rate of public support for legislation including those who very much support and support legislation was 93.34% in the field survey and 87.68% in the online survey.

Conclusions: E-bike users had lower correct awareness rate than other road users regarding e-bike violation behaviors but were more concerned about safety protection than other road users. E-bike users’ correct practices were far behind their awareness for all kinds of violation behaviors. Public education on the traffic law needs to be strengthened among e-bike users. The public strongly supported special regulations for e-bike use, such as helmet use.

Keywords:

• Electric bike
• road users
• awareness
• behaviors

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by funds from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as the hosting agency of the Global Road Safety Partnership.