Dibaj, S., Vosough, S., Kazemzadeh, K. et al. (2 more authors) (2024) An exploration of e-scooter injuries and severity: Impact of restriction policies in Helsinki, Finland. Journal of Safety Research, 91. pp. 271-282. ISSN 0022-4375
Abstract
Introduction: The emergence of shared electric scooter (e-scooter) services has introduced a new mobility option in numerous urban areas worldwide. Safety concerns surrounding e-scooter riding have prompted some cities to impose bans or restrictions on shared e-scooters. This study aims to assess the impact of e-scooter restriction policies, on the spatiotemporal distribution of e-scooter injuries and factors influencing injury severity in Helsinki, Finland, in 2021 and 2022. These restrictions include banning shared e-scooter use from midnight to 5 a.m. on weekends and reducing speeds during certain hours. Method: This study employed an ordered logit model, heatmap analysis of crash locations, and temporal analysis across different time frames to achieve these objectives. Results: The findings indicate a 64% reduction in the number of e-scooter injuries after the restrictions. However, the severity of injuries experienced only a slight decrease. Notably, the trend of injury severity appeared smoother in 2022 compared to 2021, with spikes occurring from Friday to Sunday. The spatial distribution of crashes revealed that, in 2021, most crashes were concentrated in the city center, while in 2022, the crash locations were more scattered, partly due to the increased area serviced by e-scooters. The results also underscored the substantial impact of alcohol intoxication, as it significantly increased the probability of more severe injuries. Furthermore, higher age groups and people using e-scooters from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. are more likely to experience higher injury severity after the restrictions were implemented. These research outcomes offer valuable insights for other cities, providing lessons on how to tailor policies to effectively reduce the number of e-scooter-related injuries.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | Micromobility; abbreviated injury score; injury severity; discrete choice modeling; temporal distribution; spatial distribution; restriction; ban; policy; intoxication |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > Institute for Transport Studies (Leeds) > ITS: Sustainable Transport Policy (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 29 Nov 2024 11:34 |
Last Modified: | 29 Nov 2024 11:34 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.jsr.2024.09.006 |
Sustainable Development Goals: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:220229 |