Predictors of older people’s intention to engage in cycling violation behaviour with an integrative model

Abstract

In China, bicycles are a popular mode of transportation for senior citizens. A disproportionate number of traffic-related fatalities and injuries involve cyclists. The violation of cycling laws is a significant cause of cyclist crashes. Few studies have analyzed the cycling violation behaviour of seniors. Therefore, it is essential to examine the factors that influence older individuals’ intention to engage in cycling violation behaviours. In this study, the effects of social-demographic characteristics, the exogenous constructs in the health belief model (HBM), and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) on senior cyclists’ violation intention were investigated using hierarchical regression analysis. Interviews were conducted with older cyclists in urban areas of Wuhan City, all above 60 years of age. The results showed that very little variance in behavioural intention could be explained by social-demographic factors. The TPB has a significantly greater capacity than the HBM to explain variance in behavioural intention. Perceived susceptibility, perceived benefit, cues to action, subjective norm and attitude significantly impacted behavioural intention, whereas perceived severity, perceived barrier and self-efficacy did not.

Keywords:

• Senior
• bicycle
• violation
• theory of planned behaviour
• health belief model

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Appendix

Perceived susceptibility

• If you run a red light on a bicycle, you are likely to be involved in a traffic crash.

• If you ride in the opposite direction, you will be involved in a traffic crash.

• If you ride a bicycle across the street without crossing the crosswalk, you will be involved in a traffic crash.

• The possibility of a traffic crash if you ride your bicycle on a motorway

• Likelihood of traffic crashs when riding a bicycle across the road instead of crossing a pedestrian bridge or pedestrian tunnel

Perceived severity

• Riding a bicycle through a red light, if a traffic crash occurs, then you will suffer serious injuries or even endanger your life

• Riding in the opposite direction, if a traffic crash occurs, you will suffer serious injuries and even endanger your life.

• Riding a bicycle across a street without passing through a crosswalk can result in serious or even life-threatening injuries in the event of a traffic crash

• Riding a bicycle in a motorway can cause serious injuries or even endanger your life if you have a traffic crash

• Riding a bicycle across the street instead of passing through a pedestrian bridge or pedestrian tunnel can cause serious injuries or even endanger your life if you have a traffic crash

Perceived benefit

• When riding a bicycle, obeying traffic rules can ensure life safety

• When you ride a bicycle and obey the traffic rules, you are less likely to have a traffic crash

• Obeying traffic rules when riding a bicycle makes me feel safer

• By following the traffic rules when riding a bicycle, traffic will be smoother

Perceived barrier

• I often encounter the situation where the green light at the intersection is too short, so I can save a lot of time by running the red light on my bicycle

• Often, going in the opposite direction can save time

• There are too few pedestrian crossings, so I often have to ride a long way to find a crossing

• Often encounter discontinuous motorized lanes and have to ride in the motorized lane

Cues to action

• The frequency of red light jumping by bicyclists in the neighbourhood is …

• The frequency of neighbouring people riding in the opposite direction

• The frequency of people in the neighbourhood riding bicycles in the motorway lane

• Frequency of peripheral people riding bicycles directly across the road without crossing or crosswalk

• The frequency of people in the neighbourhood riding bicycles across the road instead of passing through pedestrian bridges or pedestrian tunnels

Self-efficacy

• If I'm in a hurry to cross the street, it’s not difficult to run a red light

• It’s not difficult for me to ride my bike in the opposite direction

• It’s not hard for me to ride my bike across the street

• It’s not hard for me to ride my bike on the motorway

• It’s not hard for me to ride my bike and look for gaps in traffic to cross the street

Subjective norm

• My family and friends often warn me not to run red lights on my bicycle

• Family members and friends often warn me not to ride my bicycle in the opposite direction

• Family and friends often warn me to cross the street through crosswalks when riding a bicycle

• My family and friends always warn me not to ride my bicycle on the motorway

• My family and friends always warn me to cross the street through a pedestrian bridge or tunnel if there is one

Attitude

• Riding a bicycle through a red light is a very bad behaviour

• Riding a bicycle in the opposite direction is a very bad behaviour

• Riding a bicycle across the street without passing through the crosswalk is a very bad behaviour

• Riding a bicycle on the motorway is bad behaviour

• It is bad behaviour to ride a bicycle across the road instead of going through an overpass or tunnel

Behavioural intention

• I will not run red lights when I ride my bicycle in the future

• I will not go against the traffic when I ride my bicycle in the future

• When I ride my bike in the future, I will cross the street through the crosswalk

• When I ride my bicycle in the future, I will not ride on the motorway

• When I ride my bicycle in the future, if there is a street crossing or a street tunnel, I will cross the street via the street crossing or the street tunnel

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Science and Technology Research Project of Education Department of Hubei Province (Q20201603).