Factors affecting the intention to wear helmets for e-bike riders: the case of Chinese college students

As the popularity of electric bicycles (e-bikes) continues to surge, the number of accidents involving them has commensurately increased. A significant factor contributing to the high fatality rate in these accidents is the low usage of helmets among e-bike riders. Helmets have been proven to reduce the severity of injuries, yet their usage remains unexpectedly low. This issue is particularly pronounced among college students, the primary buyer group for e-bikes. Regrettably, there is a lack of research exploring their intentions to wear helmets. Understanding determinants of their intentions to wear helmets is crucial in promoting safe e-bike travel. Therefore, the present study aims to develop an integrated theoretical model that combines the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Health Belief Model (HBM) to examine the factors influencing e-bike riders' helmet-wearing intentions among college students. Additionally, two variables—descriptive norms and law enforcement—are incorporated. The results indicate that the integrated model accounts for 76% of the variance in helmet-wearing intention, surpassing single-theory models. Specifically, the TPB accounts for 65%, while the HBM explains 53%. Notably, law enforcement emerges as the most influential factor, highlighting the crucial role of enforcing regulations and promoting awareness. Other significant factors include subjective and descriptive norms, attitudes, perceived benefits, perceived susceptibility, perceived barriers, and perceived severity. These findings provide valuable insights for policy development and targeted interventions aimed at improving helmet wear rates among e-bike riders, especially among the college student population.