{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T06:13:45Z","timestamp":1791872025907,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,18]],"date-time":"2024-12-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1734480000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Shared micromobility programs (SMPs) are integral to urban transport in US cities, providing sustainable transit options. Increased use has raised safety concerns, notably about helmet usage among e-scooter and e-bicycle riders. Prior studies have shown that head and upper extremity injuries have risen with SMP adoption, yet data on helmet use remains sparse.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>This cross-sectional observational study evaluated helmet use among 5,365 riders (e-bicycles, conventional bicycles, and e-scooters) in San Francisco during February and March 2019. Observations were made at seven key intersections during peak commute hours on clear days.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>The majority rode conventional bicycles (77.1%), followed by e-bicycles (19.0%) and e-scooters (3.9%). Most vehicles (82.2%) were personally owned, with the remainder shared via SMPs. Helmet usage was substantially lower among SMP riders, with shared e-scooter users showing the lowest compliance. Specifically, shared e-scooter riders wore helmets 70% less frequently than personal e-scooter riders and 59% less than shared e-bike riders. Dockless e-bike riders used helmets 42% less than those on docked e-bikes.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study exposes significant gaps in helmet usage among SMP riders, highlighting a pressing need for public health interventions and policy adjustments to improve safety and reduce head injury risks. The findings suggest that helmet use is notably deficient among e-scooter and dockless e-bicycle riders, underscoring the urgent need for targeted safety regulations as cities continue to integrate SMPs into their transportation frameworks.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1477473","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,18]],"date-time":"2024-12-18T06:44:08Z","timestamp":1734504248000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Popular but precarious: low helmet use among shared micromobility program riders in San Francisco"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Willow","family":"Frye","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lara","family":"Chehab","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joshua","family":"Feler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Wong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Amy","family":"Tan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Benjamin","family":"Alpers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Devika","family":"Patel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christiana","family":"von 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