Voluntary Risk Taking by Young Bicyclists: A Case Study of University Students at Montreal

Authors

  • Shohel Reza Amin Highways & Transportation Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Environment & Computing, Coventry University, Priory St, Sir John Laing Building, Room No. JL132, Coventry, West Midlands CV1 5FB, United Kingdom

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3846/bjrbe.2017.32

Keywords:

behaviour, helmet, information, law, perception, risk.

Abstract

Young bicyclists in Montreal are taking voluntary risks such as bicycling without wearing helmet and braking system of bicycle although they are aware of the presence of danger. This article analyses the behaviour of young bicyclists taking voluntary risks. The university students in Montreal are considered as the case study since they are more risk takers and the bicycle is a favorite mode of transport among them. This study reveals that half of the respondents did not use helmets. They were also spontaneously taking a risk by high speeding, violating signals, bicycling in mixed traffic, ignoring protective equipment after dark, and avoiding the bicycle designated roads. They were taking voluntary risks based on their attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control. They did not perceive the severity of risks since they experienced relevant and unremarkable minor injuries. The attractiveness of risk and accomplishing the risk activities encouraged the young bicyclists to take voluntary risks repeatedly. Increasing feelings of vulnerability among young bicyclists reduce voluntary risks taking attitude and physical and psychological sufferings of the victims of bicycle-related accidents. Findings of this study suggest that the City of Montreal as well as other cities consider the behaviour of bicyclists particularly the young people to avoid bicycle-related accidents along with other physical measures.

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Published

27.12.2017

How to Cite

Amin, S. R. (2017). Voluntary Risk Taking by Young Bicyclists: A Case Study of University Students at Montreal. The Baltic Journal of Road and Bridge Engineering, 12(4), 258–263. https://doi.org/10.3846/bjrbe.2017.32