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In Israel, a growing use of electric bicycles by youngsters has been noted, with an increase in related injuries. In this study, an observational survey was conducted on typical urban streets, aiming to characterize the riding speeds of young e-cyclists compared to regular cyclists and the associated risk factors in their behaviors. The survey covered 39 sites in eight cities, and included 1054 cyclists. The results showed that mean speeds of young e-cyclists were higher than those of regular cyclists at all types of sites, with a difference of 6–9 km/h. The mean speeds of e-bicycles were below 25 km/h, as prescribed by law, but the 85-percentile speeds were higher. E-cyclist speeds depend on the type of street, road layout and place of riding. More e-cyclists used the roadway compared to regular cyclists, however, on divided roads, more e-cyclists used sidewalks in spite of the law prohibition, thus endangering pedestrians. The majority of cyclists did not wear helmets. The unsafe behaviors of teenage e-cyclists increase the injury risk for themselves and for other road-users. Thus, separate bicycle infrastructure should be promoted in the cities. Road safety education and training of young e-cyclists with stronger enforcement of traffic regulations are also needed.

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Electric power-assisted bicycles (e-bicycles) provide a convenient form of mobility in urban areas, being an attractive alternative to private cars, usual cycling and walking. However, there is a growing concern of their associated injuries, resulting from the increasing exposure and apparently higher speeds. Unlike other countries, in Israel, a growing use of e-bicycles by youngsters (below 18) is observed, in many towns, accompanied by a substantial increase in the number of related injuries. In this study, an observational survey of young e-cyclists was undertaken in Israeli towns aiming to characterize their behaviours at typical urban settings and then to consider measures needed for their safe integration in the urban space. The observational survey was focused on teen e-cyclists' behaviours during their trips to and from school and during leisure hours. The data were collected by means of dynamic video-recording, at five types of urban settings: signalized and un-signalized intersections; roundabouts; street sections with and without bicycle-paths. The survey covered 225 locations in 15 cities, including 150 sites near highschools and 75 in city centers. In total, over 2000 video-films were collected and their contents were coded for statistical analyses. The results showed that at all types of sites, most teenager e-cyclists were males, older than 16 and not wearing a helmet, despite the traffic law demands. High shares of them rode on sidewalks and crossed at crosswalks, violating the law that prohibits using pedestrian facilities for riding. At signalized intersections, substantial shares crossed on red, both on the roadway and on crosswalks, thus violating the traffic law and increasing accident risk. At various urban settings, young e-cyclists demonstrated a wide range of risky manoeuvres. They move faster than pedestrians and endanger them on sidewalks, but also disturb vehicle traffic and endanger themselves while riding on the road. A wider application of bicycle infrastructure, with better separation between the sidewalks, roadways and bicycle paths, would lead to a safer integration of e-bicycles in Israeli cities. Additionally, road safety education and training of teen e-cyclists supported by stronger enforcement of traffic regulations are required.

Bus priority routes (BPRs) promote public transport use in urban areas; however, their safety impacts are not sufficiently understood. Along with proven positive mobility effects, such systems may lead to crash increases. This study examines the safety impacts of BPRs, which have been introduced on busy urban roads in three major Israeli cities—Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. Crash changes associated with BPR implementation are estimated using after–before or cross-section evaluations, with comparison-groups. The findings show that BPR implementation is generally associated with increasing trends in various crash types and, particularly, in pedestrian crashes at junctions. Yet, the results differ depending on BPR configurations. Center lane BPRs are found to be safer than curbside BPRs. The best safety level is observed when a center lane BPR is adjacent to a single lane for all-purpose traffic. Local public transport planners should be aware of possible negative implications of BPRs for urban traffic safety. Negative safety impacts can be moderated by a wider use of safety-related measures, as demonstrated in BPRs’ operation in Haifa. Further research is needed to delve into the reasons for the negative safety impacts of BPRs under Israeli conditions relative to the positive impacts reported in other countries.