Effect of helmet-wearing regulation on electric-bike riders:a case study of two cities in China

Objectives:Electric bikes(e-bikes)are widely used for commuting and delivery in China.With the rapid increase in e-bikes on the road,related accidents have become crucial issues threatening the public.This research aims to explore the protective effect of helmet-wearing regulation and to investigate some factors influencing head injury with reference to two case cities in China,obtaining information to protect e-bike riders.Methods:The traffic police-reported crash data cover the periods before and after the implementation of helmet-wearing regulations in Taizhou(with data from 2017 to 2019)and Nanning(with data in 2020)of China.Preliminary statistical analysis,logistic regression and chi-square test with a Bonferroni correction were applied in the research.Results:A lack of helmets was common among victims in the context of a high helmet-wearing rate among general e-bike riders in Taizhou,indicating that fatality could be avoided to some extent by wearing helmets.Specifically,helmet wearing could reduce the probability of suffering fatal head injury by 6.4%.After the regulation implementation in Taizhou,the proportion of fatal head injuries decreased from 89%to 79%,remaining at a high level,which indicates that other measures in addition to helmet-wearing regulations should be taken.According to the results from Nanning,mandatory regulation worked more effectively than encouraged regulation in terms of reducing head injury.Conclusions:Mandatory helmet-wearing regulations are highly recommended to policymakers to reduce head injury among e-bike riders.Measures in addition to helmet-wearing regulation,e.g.enhancing law-abiding awareness and improving road infrastructure,should be considered to further protect e-bike riders.