tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/bike-laws-25884/articlesBike laws – The Conversation2023-08-07T04:10:53Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2079282023-08-07T04:10:53Z2023-08-07T04:10:53ZDo I have the right bicycle helmet and how can I tell if it’s any good? A bike helmet researcher explains<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532339/original/file-20230616-27-f1f5xs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C21%2C7200%2C5065&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-cyclist-on-road-2373200/">Pexels/Nishant Aneja</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you ride a bike and want to cut your risk of traumatic head injury, you should wear a helmet. A major Australian <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyw153">review</a> of 40 different studies and 64,000 injured cyclists worldwide showed wearing a bicycle helmet reduces the risk of serious head injury by nearly 70%.</p>
<p>But there’s a bewildering array of designs out there. How do you know if yours is up to scratch or when it’s time to replace it?</p>
<p>I’m a head injury biomechanics researcher who has researched on bicycle helmet designs. Here’s what you need to know about choosing a bike helmet.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man sitting next to his bike, wearing a helmet." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539875/original/file-20230728-21-sabxi0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Pick a helmet that fits comfortably yet firmly on your head and can’t be tilted for more than an inch in any direction.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-sitting-beside-bicycle-2270328/">Pexels/Dó Castle:</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/over-the-top-policing-of-bike-helmet-laws-targets-vulnerable-riders-125228">Over-the-top policing of bike helmet laws targets vulnerable riders</a>
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<h2>The parts of the helmet</h2>
<p>A typical bicycle helmet consists of a plastic shell, foam-like liner and the straps that keep it on your head. </p>
<p>The shell prevents any sharp penetration. The liner – usually made of expanded polystyrene foam or expanded polypropylene – absorbs the impact energy that would otherwise be colliding dangerously with your head.</p>
<p>In Australia, bicycle helmets must be certified to the mandatory Australian and New Zealand standard (the technical name for this standard is “<a href="https://www.productsafety.gov.au/product-safety-laws/safety-standards-bans/mandatory-standards/bicycle-helmets">AS/NZS 2063 — Bicycle helmets</a>”).</p>
<p>This is a very robust safety regulation, and means the helmet has to be tested for:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>impact attenuation (how well it absorbs impact),</p></li>
<li><p>load distribution (how well force is spread out over a larger area, so as to reduce the risk),</p></li>
<li><p>strength, and</p></li>
<li><p>effectiveness of the strap retention system (how well the helmet stays on your head).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>So check your helmet to see if it says “AS/NZS 2063” on it somewhere (usually on a sticker inside it).</p>
<p>However, it’s worth noting these tests mostly look at the helmet’s ability to reduce the translational force (a force which causes an object to move in a single direction) of a direct impact. </p>
<p>They don’t properly consider the damage done by what’s called “rotational forces” – when the head is hit at an angle, causing it to shift abruptly.</p>
<p>This can cause the brain to rotate inside the skull, leading to severe and irreversible <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/traumatic-brain-injury#:%7E:text=Diffuse%20axonal%20injury%20is%20the,different%20parts%20of%20the%20brain.">brain damage</a>.</p>
<h2>Bike helmet technology is always changing</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijimpeng.2022.104317">recent review</a> by colleagues and I at Swinburne University of Technology looked at bicycle helmet design technologies that may reduce the risk caused by rotational forces.</p>
<p>The best known one is called a “multi-directional impact protection system” (sometimes abbreviated as MIPS). This design allows the helmet shell to rotate around the inner liner, so the helmet absorbs some of the angular forces that would otherwise be transmitted to your head. </p>
<p>You can tell whether a helmet is MIPS-equipped by looking for a small yellow MIPS logo from the outside or a thin yellow liner beneath the pads on the inside. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539877/original/file-20230728-25-vxf17x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">A MIPs-equipped helmet will usually be labelled as such.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>Another fancy helmet technology is called an “omni-directional suspension system” (ODS), which has double liner layers connected by special rubbery materials. If you want this feature, look for a white, red and black ODS logo on the helmet shell.</p>
<p>Then there are “shearing pads inside” helmets (also known as SPIN helmets), which features silicone-injected pads in a structure that moves inside the shell.</p>
<p>These help redirect rotational forces when the rider’s head is hit in an accident. Helmets with this feature usually have a SPIN logo on the helmet shell or blue strips on the inside.</p>
<p>A few bicycle helmets use special collapsible liners to reduce the stiffness of shearing in the helmet. Helmets that feature this technology may have words like AIM (which stands for angular impact mitigation), WaveCel and HEXR on them.</p>
<p>My team at Swinburne is developing a bio-inspired flexible structure which can potentially be used as a bicycle helmet liner, and we are currently conducting tests in our Impact Engineering Laboratory. We’re also working on a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering8110173">helmet design</a> featuring an inflatable airbag in a traditional bike helmet.</p>
<h2>How to pick a helmet</h2>
<p>When choosing a helmet in the shop, pick one that fits comfortably yet firmly on your head and can’t be tilted for more than an inch in any direction. </p>
<p>It should be snug but not annoyingly tight; you’re less likely to wear it if it’s uncomfortable.</p>
<p>Ensure the helmet complies with the national or international bicycle helmet standards, which should be stated on the label inside the helmet.</p>
<p>You may consider buying a helmet featuring one of the advanced protection technologies mentioned earlier (things like AIM, MIPS, SPIN or ODS), as these can help mitigate rotation-induced traumatic brain injury if your head gets hit at an angle.</p>
<p>Pick a helmet with a thicker liner, as long as it’s still comfortable enough to wear properly when riding. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-019-02328-8">Thicker liners</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0924-0136(02)00047-X">tend</a> to absorb more impact energy because they have a longer crushing zone (a bit like how a car with a longer hood in the front has a longer crush zone before the impact hits the driver).</p>
<p>Ideally, choose one just firm enough to minimise impact forces without “bottoming out” (where the impact crushes and flattens the liner). </p>
<p>Denser foams resist very hard impacts better before crushing to their ultimate limit. Once a foam reaches its crush limit, the remaining impact energy is transmitted to your head. Softer foams compress or crush more easily in lighter impacts, giving better protection against milder injuries. </p>
<p>You never know what kind of accident you will have, so it’s better to choose a helmet with both dense and soft foam layers in the liner.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman tried on a helmet in a bike shop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539878/original/file-20230728-17-moflih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Your helmet should be snug but not annoyingly tight.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>Should you replace your helmet every few years anyway?</h2>
<p>The US Consumer Product Safety Commission says it might be prudent replace your bike helmet between <a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/sports-fitness-and-recreation-bicycles/which-helmet-which-activity">five and ten years</a> after you bought it. </p>
<p>But an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) spokesperson told The Conversation the lifespan of a bicycle helmet is not set by time alone; it depends on its use pattern. </p>
<p>The ACCC suggests a bicycle helmet should be replaced if:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>it’s showing obvious signs of wear and tear (a helmet that is used more often is likely to show more wear and tear sooner)</p></li>
<li><p>it’s showing sign of damage (cracks, pieces missing, compression of the foam, frayed straps)</p></li>
<li><p>it has been involved in an accident and has received a severe blow (even if it appears undamaged, you should destroy and replace it).</p></li>
</ul>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-what-bike-sharing-programs-need-to-succeed-85969">Here's what bike-sharing programs need to succeed</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207928/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kwong Ming Tse receives funding from the Australian government and from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>Ensure your helmet complies with the national or international bicycle helmet standards, which should be stated on the label inside the helmet.Kwong Ming (KM) Tse, Senior lecturer in Department of Mechanical Engineering and Product Design Engineering, Swinburne University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1854022022-06-29T19:55:40Z2022-06-29T19:55:40ZWhen driving near a cycle lane, do you speed up or slow down? Where you’re from may influence your answer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/469725/original/file-20220620-20-nvsrpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4904%2C3257&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>There are clear <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-believe-the-backlash-the-benefits-of-nz-investing-more-in-cycling-will-far-outweigh-the-costs-181053">economic</a>, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/21/6/738/493197?login=true">environmental</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/road-safety-switch-to-cycling-to-keep-others-safe-131964">safety</a> and <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1456">health benefits</a> to getting people cycling more, but <a href="https://theconversation.com/3-in-4-people-want-to-ride-a-bike-but-are-put-off-by-lack-of-safe-lanes-172868">research</a> shows would-be cyclists are reluctant to start without good cycle paths.</p>
<p>The problem for planners and policymakers is many Australians oppose cycle lanes, believing they’ll only force drivers to drive more slowly and extend travel times. </p>
<p>But our new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001457522001580">study</a>, published in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention, suggests not everyone around the world sees cycle lanes this way.</p>
<p>We found people in the United Kingdom and Australia typically misunderstand the impact cycle lanes have on speed limits – wrongly believing the addition of a cycle lane means cars would inevitably need to go more slowly.</p>
<p>To be clear, nobody is suggesting you should hit the accelerator and drive aggressively fast near cyclists. But if there is a safe cycle path that affords good distance between cars and bikes, there’s no reason the addition of a cycle path should necessarily slow down traffic. </p>
<p>Misunderstanding around this issue may be fuelling avoidable opposition to cycling infrastructure.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Aerial view of pedestarians crossing roaad and a bike lane next to pedestrian crossing" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470157/original/file-20220622-17-6gz9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Misunderstanding around speed limits may be fuelling avoidable opposition to cycling infrastructure.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/melbourne-vicaustraliaapril-4th-2018-pedestrians-walking-1061752019">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-in-4-people-want-to-ride-a-bike-but-are-put-off-by-lack-of-safe-lanes-172868">3 in 4 people want to ride a bike but are put off by lack of safe lanes</a>
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<h2>Speed limits: a matter of perception</h2>
<p>Our study involved 1,591 participants in the Netherlands, the UK and Australia. These three countries have similar speed limits in urban areas (50km/h), but the Netherlands has lower speed limits of 30km/h in residential areas.</p>
<p>First, we showed the study participants 15 pictures of streets without cycle lanes and asked them to estimate what the speed limit would be in these streets. </p>
<p>Interestingly, participants from the Netherlands always estimated much lower speeds for these pictures than their UK or Australian counterparts did.</p>
<p>This is important because <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0386111218300876">previous research</a> has shown that the higher speed limits are perceived, the faster drivers intend to drive. And higher speeds are the <a href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/downloads/road_safety_strategy.pdf">main contributor</a> to road accidents (even more than drugs and fatigue). </p>
<p>Previous research has <a href="https://barrosdool.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ACRS-journal-Vol28.3-e-edition-extract.pdf">also shown</a> 30km/h speed limits on local residential streets could reduce the Australian road death toll by 13%.</p>
<p>So, for our study, it was significant the Dutch participants always estimated the speed limit would be lower than the UK and Australian respondents did. It suggests Dutch drivers already view roads in a way that is safer for other road users (including cyclists).</p>
<h2>What about when cycle lanes are added into the picture?</h2>
<p>We then showed the participants pictures of the very same streets but after cycle lanes had been built on them (but showed them in a way that meant our participants wouldn’t realise these were the same streets). </p>
<p>In other words, we first showed them the streets <em>without</em> the cycle lanes and then the same street <em>with</em> cycle lanes (some of the cycle lanes were separated lanes, featuring a physical barrier dividing cyclists from cars; others were painted-on bike lanes with no physical barrier).</p>
<p>As we showed these new pictures, we asked the participants again to estimate the speed limit in these streets.</p>
<p>Study participants from Australia and the UK tended to believe cycle lanes would necessitate lower speed limits for drivers. In other words; they saw cycle lanes are a symbol of a slow commute, which would presumably therefore drive down support from drivers. </p>
<p>On the other hand, respondents in the Netherlands (where cycling is more common) perceived cycle lanes would not necessitate lower speed limits for drivers. </p>
<p>In fact, these participants tended to think cycle lanes might even suggest traffic could go faster because the cyclists are in a separate lane (and not mixed in with car traffic).</p>
<p>In short, our research found cycle lanes are usually misinterpreted as meaning “drivers, slow down!” in places where they are not common.</p>
<h2>Where to from here?</h2>
<p>Lower speed limits and cycle lanes are contested issues. Opposition usually comes from drivers who believe lower speed limits will significantly increase their journey times.</p>
<p>But this isn’t always the case. One <a href="https://trid.trb.org/view/1485212">2017 study</a> found “the generic impact of introducing 30km/h in urban residential streets is almost negligible in terms of travel time, ie. 48 seconds for a 27-minute trip, or less than 3%”.</p>
<p>In short, lower speed limits and cycle lanes will not necessarily make your driving time longer. Our study shows that people’s support of cycle lanes is influenced by familiarity with cycle lanes and perceptions of how driver speed limits will be affected by cycling infrastructure.</p>
<p>Australia can <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-australia-can-learn-from-bicycle-friendly-cities-overseas-144283">learn from other cities</a>. Support for the implementation of lower speed limits and cycle lanes will make travelling safer, faster and more sustainable.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cycle-lanes-blamed-for-urban-congestion-heres-the-reality-173388">Cycle lanes blamed for urban congestion – here's the reality</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185402/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We found people from the UK and Australia usually misunderstand the impact cycle lanes have on speed limits – wrongly believing addition of a cycle lane means cars would inevitably need to go slower.Miguel Loyola, PhD Candidate on the Implementation of Sustainable Policies, ITLS, University of SydneyJohn Nelson, Professor of Public Transport, ITLS, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/900162018-01-16T19:12:16Z2018-01-16T19:12:16ZTo end share-bike dumping, focus on how to change people’s behaviour<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201874/original/file-20180115-101502-higvs8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Residents and councils object to share bikes littering their city.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.facebook.com/unsualobikes/photos/a.582012338589797.1073741828.582002371924127/595656607225370/?type=3&theater">OBikes in unusual places/Facebook</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>While most cities are keen to promote bike use, few foresaw the problems caused by <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/transport/bikes/buying-advice/articles/dockless-bikes#schemes">dockless bike-sharing schemes</a> such as <a href="https://www.o.bike/au/about/">oBike</a> and <a href="https://www.reddygo.com.au/">Reddy Go</a>. The advantage of dockless bikes is that users needn’t find dedicated stations to pick up and return the bikes. Instead, the user leaves the bike in a public place for the next rider to use. But the disadvantage turns out to be that these bikes are littering streets or being dumped in parks and rivers in cities <a href="http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/dockless-rental-bikes-to-burst-onto-the-scene-in-australian-cities/news-story/fd302fe55d7c26528c4cc22a9fa9bc34">in Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/bike-sharing-fiascoes-and-how-to-avoid-them-an-experts-guide-84926">overseas</a>. </p>
<p>These bikes can be tracked via in-built global positioning system (GPS) devices or Bluetooth on users’ smartphones. But, like foreign species introduced before them, the bikes seem to have gone feral in cities like <a href="http://www.afr.com/technology/apps/business/shared-bicycles-are-trashing-sydney-and-melbourne-streets-and-rivers-20170926-gypgc7">Melbourne and Sydney</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/bike-sharing-fiascoes-and-how-to-avoid-them-an-experts-guide-84926">Bike-sharing fiascoes and how to avoid them – an expert’s guide</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>The question is what to do? Some <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-17/city-of-melbourne-issues-demands-to-obikes-operator/9058040">city councils have agreed</a> on <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/parking-and-transport/cycling/Pages/obikes.aspx">tighter controls</a> on the companies that supply them. </p>
<p>But that’s not enough. The new rules don’t tackle the source of the problem, which is people’s behaviour. If we deal with why people are behaving badly, then we’ll see fewer of these bikes stuck up trees or clogging rivers.</p>
<h2>Understand the behaviour to fix it</h2>
<p>If we’re going to intervene we need to understand this behaviour in the first place. This involves three sets of factors:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>context, or the environment we’re in at the time</p></li>
<li><p>cognition, or how our brain works to process information (for example, bias)</p></li>
<li><p>behaviour, which is making choices about how to act. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>We’ll mainly focus on behaviour here, with some reference to cognition.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201881/original/file-20180115-101514-10fsb1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201881/original/file-20180115-101514-10fsb1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201881/original/file-20180115-101514-10fsb1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201881/original/file-20180115-101514-10fsb1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201881/original/file-20180115-101514-10fsb1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201881/original/file-20180115-101514-10fsb1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201881/original/file-20180115-101514-10fsb1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201881/original/file-20180115-101514-10fsb1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Once we understand how someone can think it’s OK to do this we can take steps to change such behaviour.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.facebook.com/unsualobikes/photos/a.582012338589797.1073741828.582002371924127/582079278583103/?type=3&theater">OBikes in unusual places/Facebook</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_planned_behavior">Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour</a> tells us there are three elements to be understood: norms, perceived behavioural control and attitudes.</p>
<p>Dockless bikes littering the city is symptomatic of what is called a social norm. Because everyone else seems to be dumping these bikes, the implied message is that it’s OK for us to do the same. </p>
<p>To make things worse, we are getting only faint signals from authoritative sources telling us what to do. Those are called injunctive norms. </p>
<p>In other words, everyone else seems to be doing it and there are only whispers telling us not to, so we should be right to ditch the bike at the end of a good night out.</p>
<p>Added to norms is how much choice we think we have over what to do with these bikes. This is called perceived behavioural control, which has two parts, control beliefs and perceived power. </p>
<p>First, control beliefs. How easy would it be for us to litter the street with a dockless bike? Pretty easy, right? So, there’s high control belief. </p>
<p>Second, perceived power. How confident are we that we’ll be able to get away with it? Perceived power is likely to be high as few users are being called to account for poor behaviour. So, we reckon we’ve got a fair bit of licence when it comes to mistreating dockless bikes.</p>
<p>And so to attitude. Again, this has two components, affective attitude and instrumental attitude. Affective attitude could be thought of as how the behaviour we’re thinking about makes us feel. And instrumental attitude is about the pay-off we get from behaving in a certain way. </p>
<p>It’s harder to guess how people might feel about bad behaviour, partly because some attitudes are not entirely conscious. But, as far as pay-off goes, it’s a lot easier to sling a bike in the gutter at the end of a journey than take care of it.</p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/bike-sharing-schemes-might-seem-like-a-waste-of-space-but-the-economics-makes-sense-83964">Bike-sharing schemes might seem like a waste of space but the economics makes sense</a></em></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201878/original/file-20180115-101511-12q3xcy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201878/original/file-20180115-101511-12q3xcy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201878/original/file-20180115-101511-12q3xcy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201878/original/file-20180115-101511-12q3xcy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201878/original/file-20180115-101511-12q3xcy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201878/original/file-20180115-101511-12q3xcy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201878/original/file-20180115-101511-12q3xcy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201878/original/file-20180115-101511-12q3xcy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">City councils are starting to insist on dockless bikes being left in designated parking areas, but how do you get users to comply?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zongo/35533637700/in/photolist-ScEdW3-WXJEAU-DVePg1-WEHpEE-SUaQ8J-TfkWtm-ScEhYG-TfkYyo-SUaNMh-TfkP5d-SUaV3J-TfkXr3-ThH8BZ-ScEiiQ-Tfm1zY-TqxJKw-UbZGxM-WJie9x-WEHqeq-TqxK4h-ScEhJd-TfkYiU-TfkNcG-TfkLSh-SfjuJM-WJikZM-W8ZbvS-WEHpvb-WJikM2-WJimmD-Tu9vR6-SUaPX3-U97FMJ-Tu9wti-TfkXNW-Tu9vF6-SUaT43-Tu9vcv-ScEiqJ-U97Fzu-TfkVQN-TqxL4J-ScEnWC-Sfjkhk-TqxLib-Tfm1Yy-ScEkvL-YY1a4N-YyGRuy-GsH53v">David Holt/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>So what can we do to change this behaviour?</h2>
<p>Having understood the behaviour, how might we change it? This is likely to involve a combination of measures. Here are three ideas for starters.</p>
<p>First, we could work on the perceived pay-off or instrumental attitude and link that to an unconscious cognitive bias known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_aversion">loss aversion</a>. If someone who ditched a bike in a river, for instance, suffered a financial penalty, that would change the perceived pay-off and so behaviour. </p>
<p>Getting the user to deposit some money as a bond – say $10 before the bike was used – could encourage users to treat the bikes with a bit more care. This would also tap into the loss aversion bias that most of suffer from. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospect_theory">Kahneman</a> says we’re much more motivated to avoid a loss of $10 than by a gain of $10. Having handed over our $10, we’ll want it back. And we’ll be motivated to provide proof that we’ve done the right thing.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201879/original/file-20180115-101492-1j8m83y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201879/original/file-20180115-101492-1j8m83y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201879/original/file-20180115-101492-1j8m83y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=828&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201879/original/file-20180115-101492-1j8m83y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=828&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201879/original/file-20180115-101492-1j8m83y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=828&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201879/original/file-20180115-101492-1j8m83y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1040&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201879/original/file-20180115-101492-1j8m83y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1040&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/201879/original/file-20180115-101492-1j8m83y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1040&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An education campaign to change what people do with the bikes needs to target social norms and effective deterrents.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.facebook.com/unsualobikes/photos/a.582012338589797.1073741828.582002371924127/645535215570842/?type=3&theater">OBikes in unusual places/Facebook</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Second, we could work on social norms, or what we think others think is the right thing to do. Most of us have a strong desire to behave as we think others want us to. However, injunctive norms, or behaving as we think those in authority want us to behave, is likely to be not so attractive in Australia, sounding a bit too “nanny state”.</p>
<p>A communications campaign aimed at reminding users that most others don’t sling their bikes when they’re finished with them could work in the same way that water-saving campaigns worked during the <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/updates/articles/a010-southern-rainfall-decline.shtml#toc1">Millennium Drought</a> in many parts of Australia. Those campaigns helped convince many consumers that it’s not OK to waste water. One way this was achieved was by showing each household how their consumption compared to others.</p>
<p>A third suggested measure, also linked to loss aversion, would be to fine those who are found to have dumped their bike in the river or hung it from a tree, for instance. This is targeting perceived behaviour control – how confident we are that we’ll get away with it. But it might be best to leave that as one of the later options, as this could deter share-bike use by portraying it as financially risky.</p>
<p>While we might debate whether these are the right measures, no doubt more should be done to tackle the downsides of dockless bikes. So, let’s understand and deal with the source of the problem, bad behaviour.</p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-what-bike-sharing-programs-need-to-succeed-85969">Here’s what bike-sharing programs need to succeed</a></em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/90016/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Conor Wynn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>If we’re going to intervene to stop the dumping of share bikes, we need to understand the bad behaviour in the first place, then design effective measures to change how bike users behave.Conor Wynn, PhD candidate at BehaviourWorks, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/859692017-12-21T19:04:36Z2017-12-21T19:04:36ZHere’s what bike-sharing programs need to succeed<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198256/original/file-20171208-11318-1ewonai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">After nearly a decade of operation, Brisbane's CityCycle scheme still needs to be subsidised.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ashkyd/8398181994/in/photolist-dN7SVh-dN7W8C-8FnprD-dMFYFY-8FpQDt-bkTPF8-iWL2Fc-9HVBaU-9HSJCz-8FqzUJ-9Jd8qV-8FqzXJ-9dwsdZ-aPYdCz-8upi63-8umbvK-8Vjh1y-9dzwpj-nEYDN7-8VjgTf-8VgcG2-aPYdQx-8umaSV-8FnpVR-8FqA5E-aPYdJD-8upgAm-8umb8p-8FqztN-ahpPHj-8upibj-8Fnzhz-8FqAr3-8HevuV-8umbCg-8upiHJ-8FqA3J-anoT9c-8FnoQD-8FqzBb-8FnqUr-8umci2-8FnqeD-8FnpMe-8FnHrp-8FqAkN-8vVQwc-8upghu-8Fnp4n-8uphuQ">Ash Kyd/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="http://www.esb.bike/bikesharing_system/">Bike sharing</a> has become a <a href="http://trrjournalonline.trb.org/doi/abs/10.3141/2143-20">buzzword</a> in cities from Cape Town to Shanghai to Melbourne. Planners, politicians and media pundits keep <a href="http://tsrc.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Bikesharing%20in%20Europe,%20the%20Americas,%20and%20Asia%20-%20Shaheen.pdf">touting their benefits</a>: reducing pollution, congestion, travel costs and oil dependence, while improving public health. Bike sharing also helps make cities appear hip, vibrant and cosmopolitan – qualities much sought after by the <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/105746/gay-bars-bike-paths-ka-ching-creative-classs-10th-birthday">creative class</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-global-bike-sharing-boom-why-cities-love-a-cycling-scheme-53895">The global bike sharing boom – why cities love a cycling scheme</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>But what makes for a successful public bike-sharing program? This is an important question because installing one requires significant public and/or private investment and modifications to the built environment.</p>
<p>While many programs have been launched amid much fanfare, often their popularity has soon declined. A number end up <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-05/citycycle-contracts-should-be-renegotiated-following-loss/7571192">operating at a financial loss</a> and depend on other profitable enterprises to cross-subsidise them. Some have resulted in <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/pranksters-cause-headaches-for-sydney-councils-wanting-to-control-share-bikes-20171013-gz0hvq.html">dumped</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/27/scores-of-obikes-fished-out-of-melbournes-yarra-river">discarded</a> bikes becoming <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/17/chinese-discard-hundreds-of-cycles-for-hire-in-giant-pile">an eyesore</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HG6o10H0-lo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The dumping of share bikes is causing concerns in some cities.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Understanding which factors enhance or hinder public bike sharing is critical in helping cities decide whether such a program is viable, before contemplating what design and siting will work best.</p>
<p>Drawing on current knowledge, we discuss the importance of the local landscape, climate, cycling infrastructure and land use. We also touch on other factors, such as the legal environment and the characteristics of the bike-sharing program itself.</p>
<h2>Natural environment</h2>
<p>Two natural environment factors are known to affect participation: hilliness and weather. </p>
<p>A hilly terrain discourages balanced bike-sharing use, as users <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856415301531">avoid returning bicycles to stations on hilltops</a>. Those stations (termed <em>sources</em>) end up being empty, while stations on flat terrain (termed <em>sinks</em>) are often full, so users cannot find a dock to return their bike.</p>
<p>Services offering <a href="http://en.velib.paris.fr/How-it-works/Stations">bonus minutes</a> to return a bike uphill, such as Parisian bike-share operator Vélib, or incorporating <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968090X16000747">e-bikeshares</a>, like in China, can be vital to the program’s success.</p>
<p>As for weather, optimal temperature ranges vary by climate zone. In continental climates, the range is as broad as
<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/met.6/full">4-40°C</a>. In subtropical climates, though, the range is as narrow as <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11116-014-9540-7">15-32°C</a>. </p>
<p>Case studies show warm and dry weather <a href="http://docs.trb.org/prp/15-2001.pdf">encourages public bike sharing</a> use. Humidity, rain and strong wind <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692314001951">reduce the frequency of trips</a>. </p>
<p>Again, the adoption of <a href="https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/07/why-dont-more-cities-have-e-bike-shares/">shared e-bikes</a> could <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968090X16000747">reduce some of the adverse effects of bad weather</a>. Other approaches, such as providing sheltered, shaded, or even <a href="https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2012/10/invention-we-wish-we-had-heated-bike-lanes/3706/">heated</a> or <a href="https://mvsa-architects.com/project/projects-doha-corniche-cycle-path-transportation/">cooled</a> cycling infrastructure, could prove useful. Innovative concepts are being tested around the world. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nmmdjquL9Tc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Qatar once proposed a 35km artificially cooled cycling path.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Built environment</h2>
<p>The presence of high-quality bicycle infrastructure is crucial to participation in bike-sharing programs – and to cycling more generally. The length of segregated bicycle paths near each docking station <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856416307674">strongly affects use</a>.</p>
<p>Without high-quality cycling infrastructure, expanding the system size does not necessarily increase participation. No “<a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/network-effect.asp">network effect</a>” is evident, although station density does improve the performance of programs. </p>
<p>In addition to connecting stations, segregated bicycle paths must connect key land uses, such as central business districts, university and high-school campuses, high-density residential clusters and the like. The distances between these vital land uses must be “cyclable”.</p>
<p>Otherwise, bike sharing programs have little utilitarian value (riding to work and back, for example). They then end up being used mainly on weekends and for recreation in parks.</p>
<h2>Legal environment</h2>
<p>The legal environment in which public bike sharing programs operate must be factored in too. </p>
<p>For example, <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01441647.2015.1033036">laws that require cyclists to wear helmets</a>, which most Australian states adopted in the 1990s, discourage use. These laws added to the safety but also to the inconvenience for cyclists. </p>
<p>Such laws can lead to <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2011.01785.x/pdf">large declines in cycling rates</a>, from which there has been little recovery. Helmet laws are a typical example of how cyclists are forced to bear the responsibility for their own safety, regardless of who is at fault. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/cars-overwhelmingly-cause-bike-collisions-and-the-law-should-reflect-that-78922">Under current Australian laws</a>, if a car and bicycle collide, the cyclist must make a case against the motorist to claim on the motorist’s insurance. If the insurance company contests the claim, the injured cyclist must take the case to a civil court.</p>
<p>By contrast, the Netherlands and Denmark have <a href="http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2176&context=ealr">a law of “strict liability”</a> to protect vulnerable road users from <a href="https://theconversation.com/cars-bicycles-and-the-fatal-myth-of-equal-reciprocity-81034">“more powerful” road users</a>. Under this law, in crashes involving cars and bicycles, the driver is liable by default. This arguably makes Dutch and Danish drivers much more cautious than Australian drivers around cyclists.</p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/cars-overwhelmingly-cause-bike-collisions-and-the-law-should-reflect-that-78922">Cars overwhelmingly cause bike collisions, and the law should reflect that</a></em></p>
<hr>
<h2>System design</h2>
<p>Public bike-sharing programs’ design and subscription can help or hinder performance.</p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/mar/22/bike-wars-dockless-china-millions-bicycles-hangzhou">dockless systems</a>, while more convenient for users, are at higher risk of problems such as <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-17/obike-responds-to-criticism-of-bike-sharing-scheme/8813574">vandalism</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196413/original/file-20171127-14066-1cyducr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196413/original/file-20171127-14066-1cyducr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196413/original/file-20171127-14066-1cyducr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196413/original/file-20171127-14066-1cyducr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196413/original/file-20171127-14066-1cyducr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196413/original/file-20171127-14066-1cyducr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196413/original/file-20171127-14066-1cyducr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dockless systems are more convenient for users, but it’s also harder to control where the bikes end up.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">James Ross/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Cheap subscription prices are crucial for success. Most users take short trips during the free initial periods provided under most schemes and do not incur any charges other than for membership. However, nonprofit operators tend to perform more poorly.</p>
<p>Technology, such as seamless payments via apps, is adding to the attraction of bike-sharing programs. </p>
<p>Clearly, many of the key ingredients for the success of bike-sharing programs are the same as the ingredients needed to <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01441640701806612">make cycling, in general, “irresistible”</a>. For these programs to work, cities must adopt aggressive pro-bicycle programs, while reining in longstanding pro-driving policies.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/85969/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Iderlina Mateo-Babiano receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dorina Pojani receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jonathan Corcoran receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Bean is a co-convenor of the Brisbane CBD Bicycle User Group. </span></em></p>Many short-term bike-hiring programs have been launched amid much fanfare, only for their popularity to decline soon after. Several key factors need to be in place for a program to work.Derlie Mateo-Babiano, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of MelbourneDorina Pojani, Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of QueenslandJonathan Corcoran, Professor, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of QueenslandRichard Bean, Research Assistant, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/890782017-12-14T03:20:58Z2017-12-14T03:20:58ZMeasures to increase cycling in Australia are predicated on failure<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199133/original/file-20171214-27597-iarnes.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Cyclists ride in memory of Alberto Paulon who was struck by a person opening a car door on a busy road in Melbourne.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Takver/Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cycling bodies Bicycle NSW and the Victorian-based Bicycle Network <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/central-sydney/should-cyclists-be-allowed-to-ride-on-footpaths-cyclist-deaths-push-peak-riding-bodies-to-call-for-law-change/news-story/3a5eadc06f59f0db1ff13442ef304f4d">want laws changed</a> so that people over the age of 12 can cycle on footpaths.</p>
<p>We think this call is a symptom of the spectacular failure of Australia’s governing bodies (at every level from local through state and federal) to make our roads safe for cyclists. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/contested-spaces-a-users-guide-to-shared-paths-72186">Contested spaces: a user's guide to shared paths</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>NSW and Victoria are the only Australian states where the law stipulates that only children under 12 years of age and supervising adults can ride on footpaths. But they would not be campaigning for this change if they thought the streets were set to become safe for cycling in the near future. </p>
<p>The footpath cycling campaign, proposed as a solution to declining cycling participation rates, points to a much deeper problem with cycling infrastructure in Australia. That is, cycling infrastructure is predicated on failure. </p>
<p>Cycling infrastructure is not merely poorly thought out and therefore destined to fail. No, in fact, failure is its condition of possibility, because if it were otherwise it would fail better (as <a href="http://www.samuel-beckett.net/w_ho.htm">Samuel Beckett said</a>).</p>
<p>What do we mean by this? It’s a matter of numbers. </p>
<p>Let’s take the case of allowing more bikes on footpaths. Pedestrian advocacy groups such as the <a href="http://www.walk.com.au/pedestriancouncil/page.asp?PageID=6342&SiteID=1">Pedestrian Council of Australia</a> are already rightly making the case that bikes are perceived as menacing by several sections of the ambulant population, such as the elderly and other walking-impaired groups. </p>
<p>The question that should be asked here is what is the capacity of our cities’ footpaths to take on more bikes? Could they handle twice as many bikes, five times as many, ten times as many? </p>
<p>The answer to this question will depend on location and the presence of footpaths in the first instance. In certain suburban areas it may well be the case that the footpaths can handle more bikes, but how about in the inner city? The Sydney CBD at 5pm? No chance. It would be a disaster. In other words, if this campaign succeeds, it contributes to the problem rather than solving it.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199132/original/file-20171214-27593-1mik216.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199132/original/file-20171214-27593-1mik216.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199132/original/file-20171214-27593-1mik216.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199132/original/file-20171214-27593-1mik216.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199132/original/file-20171214-27593-1mik216.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199132/original/file-20171214-27593-1mik216.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199132/original/file-20171214-27593-1mik216.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nørrebrogade in Copenhagen - a street that attracts more than 40,000 cyclists per day, even in winter.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mikael Colville-Andersen/Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Let’s look a different case: showers. Australia’s warm climate means that getting more people to cycle requires showers in workplaces. The reasonable enough assumption is that people will not want to be sweaty (read: smelly) at work. Showers are the obvious solution. But again, if we do the numbers, it only works if it fails. </p>
<p>If we take an organisation like a university with several thousand employees, how many showers does it need? If it has 20 showers and 100 people cycle to work in the morning that might just be enough, assuming that they don’t all arrive at the same time and don’t mind waiting a few minutes before taking their turn. But let’s say the university is successful in encouraging more people to ride to work. Those 20 showers would soon prove inadequate. At 200 people it would be unworkable, and even then it would still only be a small percentage of the people who commute to the university every day. In other words, this strategy only works when it fails.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/people-take-to-their-bikes-when-we-make-it-safer-and-easier-for-them-82251">People take to their bikes when we make it safer and easier for them</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Let’s take one final example: the one metre rule. <a href="http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/campaigns/go-together/faqs.html">This rule</a>, currently in place as a trial or as law in all states and territories except the Northern Territory and Victoria, requires drivers to leave at least one metre between the car and a cyclist when passing on a road with a speed limit of 60km per hour and below.</p>
<p>This seems sensible enough, and no cyclist would want less. But it also assumes that cars should always have priority. This is fine while cycling numbers are so low. In most instances, cyclists in Australia are on their own (weekend warrior pelotons excepted), so more often than not there is room for cars to pass. </p>
<p>Consider, however, if <a href="http://cdn.sydneycycleways.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Cycle-Strategy-and-Action-Plan-2007-2017.pdf">Sydney had actually achieved its stated goal for 2016</a> of 10% of all trips in the city being taken by bikes. This would mean 16 million trips of less than 10km every day (<a href="https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/documents/2017/sydneys-cycling-future-web.pdf">based on 2013 numbers</a>). That would mean in the order of an extra 1.6 million bike trips. How well would the city cope then? Could cars continue to operate as though they had an absolute right to maintain their speed at all costs? The short answer is no. </p>
<p>The inner city streets of Sydney, for example, could not cope with both cars moving at speed and bikes riding three and four abreast and hundreds deep as happens in Copenhagen, which unlike Sydney has the cycling infrastructure and laws to cope with this. It would be carnage. As with the other two cases this strategy is predicated on failure.</p>
<p>Cycling strategies in Australia won’t succeed until policymakers start thinking about what success looks like and developing policy accordingly. Until then failure will continue to masquerade as success.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/89078/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Buchanan receives funding from The Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gordon Waitt receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Glen Fuller does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>If the strategies we put in place to make cycling safer were taken up in earnest the result would often be chaos.Glen Fuller, Associate Professor Communications and Media, University of CanberraIan Buchanan, Professor of Cultural Studies, University of WollongongLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/557542016-04-08T04:04:56Z2016-04-08T04:04:56ZSuburbanising the centre: the Baird government’s anti-urban agenda for Sydney<p>The New South Wales government is imposing an anti-urban legislative and development agenda on Sydney. This agenda conceptualises Sydney as centre – a privileged social, cultural and geographic core – and elsewhere. </p>
<p>Policies like building the multi-billion-dollar <a href="http://www.westconnex.com.au/">WestConnex</a> roads system, increasing penalties and restrictions <a href="https://theconversation.com/getting-bike-laws-right-means-balancing-rights-of-cyclists-and-motorists-55244">for cyclists</a>, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-22/millers-point-residents-meet-government-minister/6490120">privatising public housing</a> in inner-city suburbs and <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/anger-as-1-billion-redevelopment-lures-commonwealth-bank-away-from-western-sydney-20151112-gkxjvs.html">selling public assets</a> have direct impacts on the existence of “the urban” in Sydney.</p>
<p>This agenda limits the capacity of Sydneysiders to engage with their city in diverse, improvised or alternative ways. This is despite government claims that it addresses imbalances and inequities between the centre and the rest of the city in terms of spatial advantage, job opportunities, public spending and services. </p>
<h2>The suburbanisation of the city</h2>
<p>One of sociologist Henri Lefebvre’s enduring contributions to urban theory and practice is the notion of the <a href="http://au.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0631191887.html">“right to the city”</a>. Lefebvre was not merely advocating access to space in the city or its resources, but the right to be urban.</p>
<p>By urban, Lefebvre meant the phenomenon that emerges from the complexity, collaboration and improvisation that are possible in cities. The urban is not the product of a privileged core. Rather, it is a decentralised network of diverse communities, practices and places that give rise to cities’ convivial and inclusive potential.</p>
<p>While the government’s <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2016/s4425229.htm">lockout laws</a> have attracted <a href="https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2016/march/1456750800/richard-cooke/boomer-supremacy">national</a> and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/may/28/australia-dumbest-nation-tyler-brule-nanny-state">international</a> attention for their deleterious effect on urban areas, they are merely the <a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-lockouts-sydney-needs-to-become-a-more-inclusive-city-55821">most visible</a> of a raft of anti-urban policies. The privatisation of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=552&v=KsKkBId2_gQ">public housing in Millers Point</a> and <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/waterloo-chosen-over-sydney-university-as-site-for-new-metro-train-station-20151215-gloiu2.html">urban renewal plans for Waterloo</a>, which include demolishing public housing and relocating 4000 tenants, are detrimental to the <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/the-point-with-stan-grant/article/2016/03/09/inner-sydneys-aboriginal-community-fear-they-are-being-pushed-out-white-hipsters">social and cultural mix of the urban</a>. </p>
<p>Globally, the pattern is a familiar one. Redeveloped or new housing and commerce are targeted at more affluent investors and consumers. Areas that were urban in their social and cultural mix become increasingly homogeneous.</p>
<p>Some commentators refer to these outcomes as gentrification. However, inner-city areas have already undergone varying degrees of gentrification. Usually this is triggered by first-wave gentrifiers, such as artists, who value urban attributes. </p>
<p>One pleasure of the urban is spontaneous encounters and experiences with difference. The sociologist Zygmunt Bauman has called this “mixophilia”.</p>
<p>Historically, the suburbs have offered a refuge for the “mixophobic”. In these places, monoculturalism is a retreat from difference. The current urban development and transformation, at the behest of state government bodies such as Urban Growth, is the suburbanisation of urban areas.</p>
<h2>Regulating flows in the city</h2>
<p>City governance, design and planning are largely concerned with regulating the movement of people, goods, ideas and capital. Globally, this increasingly involves the facilitation of flows that support neoliberal state and corporate agendas, and the blocking of flows that do not.</p>
<p>One stated rationale for WestConnex, a project involving an unprecedented transfer of public funds (<a href="https://theconversation.com/big-road-projects-dont-really-save-time-or-boost-productivity-21560">A$18 billion and rising</a>) to the private sector, is increased flows to and from the city centre. </p>
<p>In response to the project’s critics, the Baird government has relied on crude rhetoric which insists it is tackling the geographic and social division between an inner city populated by “cultural elites” and <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/roads-minister-duncan-gay-chattering-classes-are-more-of-a-pollution-risk-than-trucks-20150519-gh51w3.html">“chattering classes”</a> and an <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/fairgowest/fair-go-for-the-west-the-daily-telegraphs-campaign-leads-to-big-commitments-from-premier-mike-baird/news-story/a771a7e3453527263696e1e3f72e55b1">under-served wider populace</a>.</p>
<p>Postcode should not determine access to resources in the city. Yet Westconnex is the product of an anti-urban imagination that re-iterates the single central core, rather than multiple localised urban centres. Government support for the Commonwealth Bank’s move to the newly privatised <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/mike-bairds-lightrail-boost-for-western-sydney-parramatta-cbd/news-story/5820f37e7c986e1ec96d93e260cc3fb2">Australian Technology Park in Redfern</a>, instead of to Parramatta as previously planned, reinforces that view.</p>
<p>Combined with restrictive and punitive measures that <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/mar/11/i-am-terrified-of-riding-on-sydney-roads-nsw-cyclists-on-new-road-rules">deter cycling</a> and <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/proposed-opal-fare-increases-to-hit-longdistance-commuters-hardest-20160210-gmqolv.html">proposed steep rises in public transport fares</a>, WestConnex limits Sydneysiders’ choices for mobility around the city. It consolidates the car as a dominant mode of transportation. </p>
<p>Unlike public transport and cycling, the car seals us off from encounters with others. It is the least urban form of transport.</p>
<p>The Baird government’s policy agenda for Sydney denies the right to the city, both as the right to be urban and the right to a city that is urban. It confirms Lefebvre’s position that those who manage cities devise and implement regulatory frameworks and infrastructure that are frequently – and paradoxically – detrimental to the emergence of the urban.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/55754/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kirsten Seale does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The NSW government agenda would deny the ‘right to the city’, that network of diverse communities, practices and places which give rise to the convivial and inclusive potential of cities.Kirsten Seale, Adjunct Fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/562902016-03-17T19:19:22Z2016-03-17T19:19:22ZRoad rage: why do bike riders make car drivers see red?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/115405/original/image-20160317-30234-rsq05o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In the battle for the road, bike riders come off second best. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Bike image from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/campaigns/go-together/">Cyclists are facing tougher penalties in New South Wales</a> as part of new rules introduced in March 2016. </p>
<p>While <a href="http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/campaigns/go-together/faqs.html#faq41">there are many changes</a>, some of the more vague are increased fines for riding a bicycle “furiously, recklessly, or negligently” (from A$71 to A$425). To put this into perspective, many of these new fines carry the same weight as drivers doing 80 km per hour in a 60 km/h zone (A$446) or up to 59 km/h past children in a school zone.</p>
<p>Cycling has witnessed a mini-renaissance in Australian cities over the last few years. However, this has been accompanied by the <a href="http://www.news.com.au/national/death-spike-why-cyclists-are-dying-twice-as-fast-on-our-roads/story-fncynjr2-1226760958780">perception of an increase in cyclist-related incidents</a>. A brief look at the comments section of any news article about these new laws will reveal a polarised set of views about cyclists. </p>
<p>As a result, state governments have increased fines and penalties for cyclists who violate rules to bring them into line with motorists.</p>
<p>Much of the <a href="http://www.caradvice.com.au/404945/nsw-gets-new-cycling-safety-laws-passing-distance-fines-photo-id/">communication</a> around the laws is linked to an abstract argument of safety. The implicit assumption has been that cyclist behaviour up to this point has been unsafe – a claim that is arguably false. So why do drivers hate cyclists? </p>
<h2>Safety first</h2>
<p>Studies have shown that the <a href="http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/downloads/rta_ped_bicycle_report_2010.pdf">perception of pedestrians being in danger from cyclists is far greater than actual risks</a>. In fact, the risk is so remote that <a href="http://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/216878/muarc008.pdf">cyclist-pedestrian regulations have not been included in policy</a>.</p>
<p>In the vast majority of accidents involving cars and cyclists, the <a href="http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/four-in-every-five-crashes-between-cars-and-bicycles-caused-by-driver-of-car/story-e6frea83-1226581475412">driver is at fault</a>. While some cyclists misbehave, cyclists in general pose next to no threat. </p>
<p>But in the debate about the new policies it is clear that there is a very strong anti-cycling segment in the community. </p>
<p>To identify exactly the <a href="http://www.iatbr2015.org.uk/index.php/iatbr/iatbr2015/paper/view/215">sources of frustration for motorists</a>, we did a study in 2015 to examine a range of 26 behaviours that drivers face daily, ranking them from most to least frustrating.</p>
<p>The most frustrating behaviours were almost always those of other drivers (the most annoying were getting cut off, tailgated, blocked at an intersection, or overtaken by a vehicle that then slows down). </p>
<p>Cyclists did make the top five, however, with riding two abreast found to be the fifth-most-annoying road behaviour. Though legal, it is perhaps something cyclists should bear in mind if they wish to reduce the venom in the debate.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, other cyclist behaviour such as riding on main roads and freeways, filtering to the front of traffic at lights, and riding through a red light were never major sources of frustration.</p>
<p>Given that cyclists pose very little threat to pedestrians, are rarely the cause of accidents with vehicles and are not the main cause of frustration for drivers, are the perceived problems with cyclists all in the mind?</p>
<h2>Bike rage</h2>
<p>Much of the debate about the laws centres on the perception that cyclists are free-riders (people who benefit from a resource but do not pay for it).</p>
<p>Cyclists, however, are not free-riders. If bike riders also own motor vehicles they are subject to the same set of taxes and levies as motorists. The damage that cyclists do to costly road infrastructure is negligible.</p>
<p>In fact, if done right, <a href="http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Travel-and-transport/Cycling/Benefits.aspx">cyclists can make things better for motorists</a> by moving just as many people as cars using far less space. </p>
<p>The reality is that all road users are free-riders. In 2014, <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/2014/files/BITRE_YEARBOOK_2014_Full_Report.pdf">a total of A$28 billion was spent on roads</a>, but only A$18 billion of road-related revenue was collected across all levels of government. This means that the remaining A$10 billion came from all taxpayers – cyclists and non-road users included.</p>
<p>Do cyclists make driving slower? There is a lack of research to prove or disprove this conclusively. But speaking anecdotally, while a driver may have to slow down (and is required by law to give cyclists adequate space while overtaking in Queensland and New South Wales), it is unlikely that such isolated incidents lead to significant delays for the motorist, considering that there is often a red light or other holdup waiting for them a few seconds down the road, at least in urban areas.</p>
<p>Motorists often have faulty perceptions of travel time, <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09332480.2000.10542215?journalCode=ucha20">falsely thinking that other lanes of traffic are moving faster than them</a>. More broadly, <a href="http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/09564239610149957">people are overly sensitive to time spent queuing or waiting</a> and <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057740802702349">often incorrectly recall the extent of a delay</a>. </p>
<p>As opposed to bicycles slowing down motorists, in congested cities it might very well be the other way around. <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/cities-where-it-s-faster-to-walk-than-drive/">Cycling can often be a faster way to get from A to B</a> and if you take into account all of the time costs associated with each mode of transport, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2845829/">motor vehicles are often inferior to bicycles or other modes of transport</a>.</p>
<p>Another psychological explanation for the apparent dislike of cyclists is that, for the majority of motorists, encounters with riders deviate from what they normally expect. <a href="https://theconversation.com/helmet-cam-captures-bike-accidents-and-could-make-cycling-safer-3540">Motorists are conditioned to worry about other vehicles</a> and often do not see or react to cyclists. When negative incidents occur, this effect means the driver is likely to believe it is the fault of the cyclist for being where they “shouldn’t” be, rather than being due to the driver’s own actions.</p>
<p>This is compounded by another fundamental human error called availability bias. Because a run-in with a bike is more unusual, it is more memorable. This in turn causes drivers to overestimate the probability of another, future incident. </p>
<h2>‘Us’ and ‘them’</h2>
<p>Overall, the cyclist versus driver debate is a classic example of <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2044-8309.1986.tb00732.x/abstract;jsessionid=CF575DDD864E7D0F3E5F764B51ADA4E6.f01t03">in-groups versus out-groups</a>. Motorists are the dominant users of the road and thus form an “in-group”. They are more accepting of those who are also part of that group and more willing to forgive fellow group members for transgressions.</p>
<p>On the other hand, cyclists represent the out-group and are <a href="http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic1230883.files/Intergroup%20Bias.pdf">perceived as a threat</a>. They are <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2926634">prone to dehumanisation</a> and <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065260108602361">error group attribution</a>, where wrongdoing by one cyclist is deemed representative of the entire group (“that cyclist jumped a red light” becomes “cyclists jump red lights”). </p>
<p>By seeing road users as rivals, <a href="http://www.racfoundation.org/assets/rac_foundation/content/downloadables/road%20sharing%20-%20christmas%20and%20helman%20-%20report.pdf">we take mental shortcuts about how we treat them, even though our assumptions might well be wrong</a>.</p>
<p>In the debate about NSW’s new cycling laws, much of the negative perception of cyclists is not grounded in fact, but rather in the inherent biases that we all have as humans. As my survey showed, when pushed on the issue, most motorists admit to finding the behaviour of other drivers more frustrating than that of cyclists.</p>
<p>There is some merit in treating cyclists the same as drivers, as the new laws do with <a href="http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/campaigns/go-together">a call to “go together”</a>. However, this message has largely been lost as a result of the haphazard communication around these new laws. Comments by policymakers that cyclists must be held accountable only reinforce the difference.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/56290/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew owns two cars, four bikes, one kayak and an Opal card.
</span></em></p>New South Wales’ new tougher bike laws reveal an ongoing war of the roads.Matthew Beck, Senior Lecturer in Infrastructure Management, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.