Why do some motorbike riders wear a helmet and others don't? Evidence from Delhi, India. (June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Grimm, Michael; Treibich, Carole
• Is Part Of: Transportation research. Volume 88(2016)
• Page Start: 318
• Page End: 336
• Publication Date: 2016-06
• Subjects: Road accident risks -- Traffic externalities -- Commuting behavior -- Safety -- Urban policy -- Delhi; Transportation -- Research -- Periodicals; 388.011
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2016.04.014
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0965-8564

Abstract

Highlights: Risk averse and better educated drivers are more likely to wear a helmet. Drivers showing higher awareness are more likely to wear a helmet and to speed less. Drivers showing a high level of unawareness take the highest risks. Controlling for risk awareness, drivers tend to compensate between speed and helmet use. Improvements to the road infrastructure are likely to lead to risk compensation effects. Abstract: Road traffic accident fatalities lead to important private and social costs in the metropolitan areas of most low and middle income countries. An important share of these fatalities is due to injuries to the head and the neck. Helmets can provide efficient protection, but many drivers do not use them. We focus on helmet use behavior among motorbike users in Delhi. We use a detailed data set collected for the purpose of the study. To guide our empirical analysis, we rely on a model in which drivers decide on self-protection and self-insurance. The empirical findings suggest that risk-averse drivers are more likely to wear a helmet and that this has no systematic effect on speed. Helmet use also increases with education. Drivers who show a higher awareness of road risks seem to be both more likely to wear a helmet and to speed less. Controlling for risk awareness, we observe that drivers tend to compensate between speed and helmet use. The results can provide a basis for awareness-raising policies. They also show that improvements to the road infrastructure risk leading to risk-compensating behavior.