Xuesong Wang,Yilun Xu,Paul J.Tremont
Abstract:The purpose of this study is to identify the Moped rider violation behaviors leading to conflicts and crashes and to help guide future countermeasure development. Mopeds (electric bicycles and light motorcycles) are a commonly used personal transportation mode in China, and Moped crashes are increasing rapidly. This increase in crashes may be attributable to certain traffic behaviors of Moped riders. We used video recordings to acquire data on Moped riders’ violation behaviors and the violation behaviors of Bicycle, Tricycle (BTs) and Motorcycle (MCs) riders at signalized intersections. A total of 125 minutes of video was recorded from 10 intersections and rider behaviors were coded from 1455 vehicles. The video data showed that Moped riders commit more violations than riders of bicycles, tricycles, and electric bicycles, and that Moped riders who engage in violation behaviors at intersections are involved in more frequent and more severe conflicts than Moped riders who do not engage in violation behaviors. Typical Moped violation behaviors include running red lights, riding in improper directions, waiting at improper positions, riding in improper lanes, and overloading. Violation behaviors were closely associated with the traffic environment (traffic facilities, traffic flow, traffic signal status and other riders’ behaviors), but not with either the vehicle’s characteristics or the rider’s characteristics. This suggests that countermeasures related to the traffic environment would be more effective than those related to either vehicle or rider characteristics. Countermeasures within the areas of traffic regulation, traffic management, traffic facilities, vehicle management, and rider education are proposed.