Risky e-scooter behaviours: The importance of descriptive norms and perceived behavioural control

The rapid expansion of electric scooters (e-scooters), including shared schemes, has coincided with concerns regarding their safety. Given the relatively recent introduction of e-scooters, there is a paucity of research considering how they are used, including risk factors for unsafe use. The current investigation examined the extent of unsafe e-scooter riding behaviours and the utility of key psychological factors in the prediction of risky e-scooter use among riders in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Australia. Three hundred and sixty-two participants who had ridden an e-scooter in the ACT in the previous 12 months (56 % female, mean age = 22.3 years, SD = 7.5, age range 17–72 years) completed an online survey which measured self-reported e-scooter riding behaviours along with demographics and a range of psychological factors (perceived risk, perceived behavioural control [PBC], descriptive norm). Participants also gave reasons for not wearing a helmet, which has previously been identified as a key risk factor of e-scooter related injuries. Results demonstrated a high proportion of risky behaviours, with doubling, use of a smartphone, no helmet, and speeding each reported by more than 50 % of participants. Psychological factors (notably descriptive norm and PBC) were particularly important predictors of risky e-scooter use. These were also identified in qualitative analysis of reasons for not wearing a helmet (N = 184). This study contributes to the burgeoning evidence regarding the importance of psychological factors in predicting risky e-scooter riding behaviours and demonstrates the potential for targeting descriptive norms and PBC as interventions to encourage safer use.