Research on safety measures with a focus on the psychological and behavioral characteristics of bicycle users, from children to senior citizens

As part of a research project of the International Association for Traffic and Safety Sciences (IATSS), a series of surveys were conducted on the behavior of cyclists and the countermeasures. This paper outlines the mechanisms of bicycle accidents in Japan and their countermeasures. According to accident statistics, the two target groups for the prevention of bicycle accidents include the child population of elementary, junior high, and high school students, and the older population aged 65 years and over. Questionnaires and behavioral observation surveys of junior high school students revealed tendencies for students to violate rules, such as not stopping temporarily, not searching left and right at crossings, riding alongside, and looking aside when riding. A field experiment with junior high school students using gyro sensors revealed that their level of searching for safety was extremely low. Furthermore, clear differences existed in the manner in which each individual searched. Based on these results, several educational and practical activities were performed. In addition, a study was conducted with older cyclists at a driving school to measure behavioral characteristics, such as searching behavior at crossings and riding (walking) position. The license status factor significantly impacted the safety aspects of the behavior of older cyclists, with unlicensed cyclists lacking safety searching behavior when passing through intersections and crossing the road and having lower riding position scores.