TEMA - Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
TEMA - Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Accid Anal Prev. 2021 Dec;163:106430. doi: 10.1016/j.aap.2021.106430. Epub 2021 Oct 13.
Traffic jams are a burden in urban areas, being time-consuming and contributing to stressful driving and CO emissions. To implement the United Nations' 2030 agenda for sustainable development, governmental strategies aim to accelerate the shift to sustainable and smart mobility. Consequently, e-micromobility (EMM) appeared as a practical solution for short-distance commuters, and it is growing at upsetting rates thanks to the introduction of sharing services. In fact, urban mobility has drastically changed over the last decade, and electric mobility and micromobility changed the panorama in larger metropolises, given their accessibility, large availability, and the potential to be a time saver in short trips and a potentially sustainable alternative in particular scenarios. The downside of portable e-transportation is the rapid increase in injuries and fatalities. Focusing on standing e-scooters, head injuries are becoming one of the most common as shown by research conducted in different urban emergency departments, alongside bone fractures, skin abrasions, and lacerations. In this work, a comprehensive review is carried out focusing on head protection for EMM, mostly for e-scooters, and the respective target markets, safety measures, and existing regulations. In the end, a critical assessment is given with recommendations for legislators and future research. Users are mostly males from 18 to 40 years old, upper-to-middle income, with elevated levels of educational attainment. Their motivation to use e-scooters is mainly to replace short walking trips. EMM, in particular e-scooters, will continue to grow thanks to its potential to substitute other micromobility alternatives. The evolution of safety measures and regulations did not keep pace with such a drastic change in mobility trends. This is evident considering how some countries are struggling with vehicle categories and regulations for helmet use and testing. The lack of legal obligation to wear a helmet and the absence of an adequate and feasible concept of protective equipment for sharing services are the main barriers to helmet use among riders. Mitigation measures have been implemented by the EMM sharing companies to improve the safety of its users by checking if they wear helmets and by offering vehicle-integrated solutions.
交通拥堵是城市地区的一个负担，既费时又费力，还会导致驾驶压力和二氧化碳排放增加。为了实施联合国 2030 年可持续发展议程，各国政府的战略旨在加速向可持续和智能交通转型。因此，电动微型交通工具 (EMM) 作为短距离通勤者的实用解决方案出现了，并且由于共享服务的引入，其发展速度令人惊讶。事实上，过去十年城市交通发生了巨大变化，电动出行和微型交通工具改变了大城市的交通面貌，因为它们易于使用、大量可用，并且在短途旅行中可以节省时间，在某些特定情况下是一种可持续的替代方案。便携式电动交通工具的缺点是受伤和死亡人数的迅速增加。专注于电动滑板车，头部受伤已成为最常见的伤害之一，这一点从不同城市急救部门的研究中可以看出，此外还有骨折、皮肤擦伤和撕裂伤。在这项工作中，我们进行了一项全面的综述，重点关注 EMM（主要是电动滑板车）的头部保护以及各自的目标市场、安全措施和现有法规。最后，我们对立法者和未来的研究提出了批评性评估和建议。用户主要是 18 至 40 岁的男性，收入中上，教育程度较高。他们使用电动滑板车的主要动机是替代短途步行。EMM，特别是电动滑板车，将继续增长，因为它有潜力替代其他微型交通工具。安全措施和法规的发展并没有跟上这种交通方式的急剧变化。考虑到一些国家在车辆类别和头盔使用和测试法规方面的困难，这一点显而易见。缺乏佩戴头盔的法律义务以及缺乏共享服务的适当和可行的防护设备概念，是骑手不戴头盔的主要障碍。EMM 共享公司已经采取了缓解措施，通过检查用户是否戴头盔以及提供车辆集成解决方案，来提高用户的安全性。
