Deng Xiao, Deputy Director, Injury Prevention and Mental Health Department, Center for Chronic Diseases, China CDC
Cctv news(Reporter Zhang Ke Yi designed Shi Tianxin): In recent years, great achievements have been made in road safety improvement in China, and the death rate of road traffic accidents has steadily decreased. At the same time, however, the number of casualties of electric bicycle riders is increasing against the trend. "Among the casualties of road traffic accidents in the country in 2019, one electric bicycle rider died in road traffic accidents every hour, and five electric bicycle riders were injured in road traffic accidents every hour." According to Deng Xiao, deputy director of the Injury Prevention and Control and Mental Health Office of the Center for Chronic Diseases of China CDC, behind this worrying data, the road safety problem is still "undercurrent".
One person died every hour, and electric bicycle casualties accounted for nearly 70% of non-motor vehicle casualties.
In recent years, great changes have taken place in the mode of transportation in China, and new means of transportation and modes of transportation have emerged one after another. Electric bicycles are favored by the general public because of their characteristics of speed, convenience and affordability. According to the data released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in 2019, the output of electric bicycles in China was 27.077 million, and the social ownership was nearly 300 million, ranking first in the world. However, the number of road traffic accidents and casualties caused by electric bicycles is also rising sharply. Deng Xiao said that many electric bicycle owners are not insured. Any electric bicycle casualty accident is not only a disease burden, but also a very serious economic burden for the whole family, and the social burden caused by it cannot be underestimated.
In China, electric bicycles are classified as non-motor vehicles, and electric bicycle casualties account for nearly 70% of non-motor vehicle casualties. Deng Xiao said that the statistics of road traffic accidents in China show that in 2009-2019, there were 67,500 people killed and 331,900 injured in road traffic accidents nationwide. In 2019, compared with 2009, the number of electric bicycle casualties has more than doubled in ten years.
What major injuries will road traffic accidents bring to the parties? In the national road traffic accident data, craniocerebral injury is an important cause of death and injury. Deng Xiao said that 74.8% of traffic deaths were caused by craniocerebral injury, and 80% of seriously injured people were caused by craniocerebral injury. In the national injury monitoring system, 45% of the non-motor vehicle accidents in hospital outpatient and emergency treatment were head injuries, as well as lower limbs and trunk injuries. The main nature of injury is fracture, concussion, brain contusion and laceration and organ system damage.
Where are the road safety hazards of electric bicycles? Deng Xiao said that speeding of electric bicycles is a big problem. China’s "Road Traffic Safety Law" stipulates that electric bicycles should travel in non-motor vehicle lanes, and the speed should not exceed 15 km/h. According to the new national standard, the design speed of electric bicycles should not exceed 25 km/h, but the actual situation is not optimistic. If the electric bicycle is speeding, the collision speed is superimposed after it collides with the car. This kind of collision does great harm to the human body in a short time and is often the main cause of death accidents and personal injuries.
Running a red light, going backwards, carrying people illegally, riding a bicycle and making phone calls are also the main risk factors that lead to traffic accidents and even casualties of electric bicycle riders. In addition, we often talk about the "blind spot" problem, which is often seen in electric bicycle accidents. In layman’s terms, the rider is not "seen" or the rider himself is "invisible". For example, Deng Xiao said, for example, in the so-called "ghost probe" accident, the cyclist of electric bicycle casually crosses the road from the slow-moving motor vehicle, while the driver of the fast-moving motor vehicle on the other side may not be able to see it, or it is too late to stop the car when he sees it, resulting in a very serious accident.
Riding an electric bicycle illegally becomes a "killer" for children.
Besides cyclists, people who ride electric bicycles can’t be ignored, especially children who ride electric bicycles. Deng Xiao said that among children and adolescents aged 0-19 in China, the first cause of death is not infectious diseases or chronic diseases, but injuries. Among them, road traffic injury is an important one. On average, 10 children (0-18 years old) die from road traffic accidents every day, and 53 children are injured by road traffic accidents.
"The main modes of transportation for road traffic casualties among younger children are walking, riding private cars and motorcycles, while older children are riding motorcycles and driving electric bicycles." Deng Xiao introduced that China stipulates that motorcycles can be driven at the age of 18 and electric bicycles can be driven at the age of 16. However, among teenagers aged 12-17, the number of casualties related to driving motorcycles and driving electric bicycles is very large, and there are a large number of illegal riding behaviors, which need our attention.
According to the data of the national injury monitoring system, among the injury cases in the outpatient and emergency departments of hospitals, children’s road traffic injuries are the same as the data obtained by the public security traffic control department, with more boys than girls, and the age is concentrated in older children. Deng Xiao said that illegal motor vehicles are the main cause of road traffic accidents among children. Children’s road traffic accidents occur frequently in winter and summer vacations, rest days and school hours. Children’s road traffic accidents are more likely to occur on roads lacking protective facilities. The road traffic modes of the perpetrators are mainly driving minibuses, motorcycles and electric bicycles.
Experts say these points are very important to prevent road traffic injuries caused by electric bicycles.
How to effectively prevent road traffic injuries of electric bicycles? Deng Xiao said that the first thing to choose is a safe and standard electric bicycle. In 2019, electric bicycles came out with a new national standard, and the safety of vehicles is the starting point for preventing and reducing injuries. Even electric bicycles that meet the national standard should be checked for vehicle safety before going on the road, including vehicle braking system, lights and horns.
The second is the safe road. "A very effective measure to reduce non-motor vehicle casualties is the separation of machines and vehicles, so that traffic users at different speeds can be separated." Deng Xiao said.
With a safe car and a safe road, the following is the magic weapon in the hands of every electric bicycle user — — Safe rider, safe riding behavior.
Deng Xiao suggested that users of electric bicycles should do the following: don’t overspeed, wear helmets, obey traffic rules, and avoid danger when they know it. The advocacy of the theme of "One Helmet and One Belt" is also the proper meaning in the title. The use of effective protective tools can greatly reduce the death rate of road traffic accidents. Take the helmet as an example. After a road traffic collision, the severity of the injury largely depends on whether or not to wear a safety helmet with anti-collision performance. Data show that bicycle safety helmets can reduce 63% head injuries and 88% head injuries. Drivers of two-wheeled motor vehicles who don’t wear safety helmets have three times the risk of head injuries as those who wear helmets. "Wearing a helmet is a very important protective measure. The laws of many developed countries stipulate that riding a bicycle must also wear a safety helmet. I also hope that the relevant laws and regulations on the use of electric bicycle helmets can be introduced as soon as possible at the national level. " Deng Xiao said.
Finally, whether the injured can get the right rescue and medical treatment at the first time after the accident is also the key factor to determine the life and death of the injured. "We saw in the hospital monitoring data that only 33% of children went to the hospital within one hour after the road traffic injury, which shows that the rescue and treatment after the accident need to be further strengthened." Deng Xiao said. (Proofread Song Chunyan)
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