Towards safer cycling for elderly

Abstract

The popularity of e-bikes among elderly presents significant challenges for road safety.
An alarming rise in fatal and serious bicycle accidents in the Netherlands has been identified during the past years, particularly among elderly on e-bikes. The most significant increase has been from single-vehicle accidents. The ANWB has always committed itself to improving traffic safety. As the biggest association of the Netherlands, the ANWB has an influential position. The design project investigates how the ANWB can play a role in preventing accidents involving elderly cyclists, aiming to contribute to the national goal of zero traffic casualties by 2050 set by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.

Through a comprehensive literature review, inquiries into current projects, and expert consultations, the context of the problem was shaped. Knowledge gaps were addressed through qualitative target group research, providing relevant insights into accident contexts, usage patterns, needs, and behaviors of elderly e-bike users aged 60 and above. All insights were compiled to inform the design of the solution.

The proposed concept centers on offering "pleasant, safe routes" across both functional and recreational ANWB bicycle route planning services, incorporating a variety of new features. Currently, the ANWB provides the Eropuit platform for planning recreational bicycle routes using the knooppunten network (node network). The proposal extends ANWB’s offer with a navigation service for A-to-B bicycling, differentiating itself by focusing on pleasant, safe bicycle navigation. This involves building an algorithm that combines various mobility data sources to offer the option of ‘the pleasant, safe route’. Subsequently, this algorithm can be applied to enhance the service of the node route navigation. Additional features include clear information sharing on bicycle safety for planning junction routes and enabling users to report risk points.
Elderly cyclists typically maintain similar speeds on e-bikes as they do on regular bicycles. The e-bike does not seem to provide more risks looking at vehicle factors. However, due to the motor assistance provided by e-bikes, elderly individuals tend to cycle more frequently and cover longer distances. Another consequential risk is that it allows elderly to continue cycling despite age-related limitations. The report emphasizes the importance of recognizing that elderly cyclists tend to underestimate their limitations and have a reactive approach to bicycle safety measures.
The target group research shows the most recurring cause for accidents to be startling reactions. These reactions are often triggered by the sudden movements of other road users, causing the elderly to swerve or brake abruptly, leading to falls. A key objective of the concept proposal is to offer routes that minimize factors for startle reactions.

Furthermore, the research brings forward the needs of biking elderly. It showed that elderly can easily feel unsettled by more risky or unpredictable behavior of other road users. Additionally, elderly cyclists, especially retirees, value enjoying their rides. These insights demonstrate the need for pleasant, safe routes. Initial validation research, presenting multiple features of the concept, confirms this need, showing a positive perspective on the concept's effectiveness.

The report presents recommendations for further development, including a strategic and tactical roadmap. The strategic roadmap outlines three phases: the first involves a pilot with a minimum viable product of the pleasant, safe route navigation in the Eropuit app; the second includes the full-service release in both the Eropuit and Onderweg apps; and the third phase focuses on strengthening the unique value proposition, working towards the proposed future vision: "ANWB is a leader in bicycle safety by applying innovative technology and comprehensive, up-to-date data insights to bicycle navigation."