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During annual USF student orientation, the International Student Support Team informs incoming students that ‘accidents’ account for 41% of deaths to young people between the ages of 15-24, and that auto collisions make up one-quarter of these accidental fatalities. In many cases, accidents are entirely preventable, meaning younger individuals may have significant control over these statistics.  

At the September Bicycle, Pedestrian, Auto, Scooter and Skateboard (BPASS) Safety event, the International Student Support Team collected , which reflected ongoing risky traffic safety behaviors among a significant percentage of students. However, there is a silver lining in these results: many students showed a willingness to improve their traffic safety practices.

Here are the survey results.  

911±¬ÁÏÍøaring Protective Helmets

According to BPASS survey results, 20% of students never wear helmets, while 30% only wear them some of the time. That’s half of this survey population! And just 20% said they always wear helmets. An overwhelming majority (96%) said that they would wear helmets if they could get them for free.

Head trauma is the leading cause of bicycle and scooter-related fatalities and hospitalization for serious injuries. However, meta research analysis provides strong evidence that multi-directional impact helmets (MIPS) can prevent serious head injuries by 63-83%. While helmets can be uncomfortable, the level of protection that they provide is essential in preventing injuries to the skull and brain.

According to State-Level Ranking, Tampa is ranked as one of the top three cities in Florida for bicycle fatalities. Tampa is also ranked in the top 20 for bicycle deaths countrywide, according to Metro-Level Ranking. While there is not enough data on Tampa’s ranking in scooter injuries and fatalities country-wide, issues like ‘poor pavement conditions, high speed urban roads, and not enough scooter lanes make the Tampa area a very dangerous place for people riding scooters.

What are the biggest threats on the road? 

When asked what they believed were the biggest threats to their safety on the road, 100% of cyclists said they feared other vehicles (cars, trucks and motorcycles) the most. The next two greatest perceived threats were road and weather conditions (75%), followed by scooters (25%) and pedestrians (12%). The lone scooter rider in this survey felt that other vehicles, the road surface and weather conditions where the greatest threats to her safety on the road.

Pedestrians walking on-and-off campus perceived cars, trucks and motorcycles as the greatest threat to their safety, followed by scooter operators. 911±¬ÁÏÍø walking off-campus viewed these types of vehicles as a greater threat with 92% citing them as being a danger, compared to 69% of students walking on-campus. 911±¬ÁÏÍø walking on-campus viewed scooter operators as a much greater threat (62%) compared to those walking off-campus (46%).

Cell Phone Distractions

While a majority of students (58%) said that they never looked at their cell phones when crossing the road, a significant percentage (42%) said that they did so ‘sometimes, about half the time, and most of the time,’ which does put their safety at risk.

As Tampa has the eighth most pedestrian deaths (3.75 per 100,000 people) countrywide, according to Smart Growth America, which includes 599 pedestrian fatalities from 2018 – 2022, this implies an urgent need to change.  

Distractions from Earpods

Earpods appeared to be less of a distraction for bicyclists, skateboarders and scooter operators with 72% indicating that they never  listened to music, news or other media with these devices. However, 28% of students acknowledged that they did so ‘sometimes’ or ‘about half the time.’

Earpods can limit people from hearing important sounds around them, including emergency vehicles. It is also a traffic violation (Florida Statute 316.304) that could result in a citation.

911±¬ÁÏÍøaring Light Or Reflective Clothing at Night

76% of pedestrian deaths occurred during dark conditions with an additional 4% of fatalities happening during dusk or dawn. The time periods from 6:00pm to 11:59pm are considered the most dangerous time blocks.

A major reason for concern is that only 19% of survey respondents said that they always wore light or reflective materials at night. Comparatively, 31% of these students said they never wore light clothing at night.

At the BPASS safety event, many students eagerly accepted the neon vests given out by AAA, which will help keep them more visible, and hopefully safer when walking at night.  
 
While the data shows that there is a clear and present danger in regard to student safety, it is equally clear that students are willing and eager to learn about ways to mitigate these threats to safety.