Currently, around 65 percent of all bicyclists use light. For teenagers and young adults this is much lower. The present thesis investigates what policy adjustments should be carried through to accomplish an increase in compliance. Based on a literature study and a survey among bicyclists, it argues first that the level of the fine should be increased. Secondly, policy makers should take notice off the 'Parkstad approach'. This is a comprehensive regional initiative targeting students in secondary education and can easily be applied elsewhere. Among other things, it comprises the distribution of free bicycle lights at schools and stringent police inspections. Such measures are needed because of the significant positive effect that bicycle lights have on traffic safety. A one percentage point increase in the use of bicycle lights is estimated to diminish the number of deceased and hospitalized bicyclists by ten to twenty per year. The survey results show that traffic safety is the most prominent reason for lit bicyclists to use light. They are predominantly intrinsically motivated and use bicycle lights to enhance their sense of security. On the other hand, bicyclists who are unlit do not use bicycle lights because they feel relatively safe and because they are insufficiently extrinsically motivated. The majority requires a higher fine than today's fine before they start using bicycle lights. Findings from the theory of planned behavior provide further support: the presence of a practical problem, which are mostly monetary in nature, has a negative impact on the probability to use bicycle lights. Unlit bicyclists are prone however, to an increase in expected legal costs. Hence, an increase in the costs of cycling without light should motivate unlit bicyclists to change their behavior. (Author/publisher)
Abstract