Skip to main content
Log in

Helmet Use Among Users of the Citi Bike Bicycle-Sharing Program: A Pilot Study in New York City

Journal of Community Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The use of bicycle helmets to prevent or reduce serious head injuries is well established. However, it is unclear how to effectively promote helmet use, particularly in the context of bicycle-sharing programs. The need to determine rates of helmet use specifically among users of bicycle-sharing programs and understand if certain characteristics, such as time of day, affect helmet use, is imperative if effective promotion and/or legislative efforts addressing helmet use are to be developed. We estimated the prevalence of helmet use among a sample of Citi Bike program users in New York City. A total of 1,054 cyclists were observed over 44 h and across the 22 busiest Citi Bike locations. Overall, 85.3 % (95 % CI 82.2, 88.4 %) of the cyclists observed did not wear a helmet. Rates of helmet non-use were also consistent whether cyclists were entering or leaving the docking station, among cyclists using the Citi Bikes earlier versus later in the day, and among cyclists using the Citi Bikes on weekends versus weekdays. Improved understanding about factors that facilitate and hinder helmet use is needed to help reduce head injury risk among users of bicycle sharing programs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Thompson, D., Rivara, F., Thompson, R. (2009). Helmets for preventing head and facial injuries in cyclists. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 12, 1–33, CD001855.

  2. Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute. Public Service Announcements. Retrieved from: http://www.helmets.org/psa.htm.

  3. Cusimano, M. D., Faress, A., Luong, W. P., Lockhart, S., Amin, K., Garland, R. J., et al. (2013). Evaluation of a bicycle helmet safety program for children. Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 40(5), 710–716.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. New York City Department of Transportation. Bicycle crash data 2012. The City of New York. Retrieved from: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/2012-bicycle-crash-data-report.pdf. Published January 1, 2012.

  5. Nicaj, L., Mandel-Ricci, J., Assefa, S., et al. Bicyclist fatalities and serious injuries in New York City: 1996–2005: a joint report from the New York City Departments of Health and Mental Hygiene, Parks and Recreation, Transportation, and the New York City Police Department. The City of New York. Retrieved from: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/bicyclefatalities.pdf.

  6. MacPherson, A., Spinks, A. (2008). Bicycle helmet legislation for the uptake of helmet use and prevention of head injuries. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 12, 1–19. CD005401.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Citi Bike. System data. Citi Bike. Retrieved from: http://citibikenyc.com/system-data.

  8. Citi Bike. Blog. Citi Bike. Retrieved from: http://citibikenyc.com/blog.

  9. Guerriero, M. The New Yorker. Interactive: A month of CitiBike. Retrieved from: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/07/month-of-citi-bike.html.

  10. Fischer, C. M., Sanchez, C. E., Pittman, M., Milzman, D., Volz, K. A., Huang, H., et al. (2012). Prevalence of bicycle helmet use by users of public bikeshare programs. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 60(2), 228–231.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Bonyun, M., Camden, A., Macarthur, C., & Howard, A. (2012). Helmet use in BIXI cyclists in Toronto, Canada: an observational study. BMJ Open, 18(2), 3.

    Google Scholar 

  12. McKernan, B. Associated Press. No helmets required for bike share in busy NYC. Retrieved from: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/no-helmets-required-bike-share-busy-nyc-0#prclt-ndLyCy1j.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Corey H. Basch.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Basch, C.H., Ethan, D., Rajan, S. et al. Helmet Use Among Users of the Citi Bike Bicycle-Sharing Program: A Pilot Study in New York City. J Community Health 39, 503–507 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-013-9785-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-013-9785-7

Keywords

Navigation