Public Health students zoom in on scooter and bike safety

Want a free helmet? The newly formed Gallaudet Safety Team is passing out more than 100 to students as encouragement to participate in a survey, part of an initiative to make it safer to zip around campus.

The increased availability of electric scooters has changed how many young people get to where they’re going. But micromobility — a term that describes the convenience of these scooters, plus bikes, skateboards, and other similar forms of transportation — has come with a cost.

“Over the past two years, we have observed a rise in biking and scooter-related injuries, ranging from broken teeth to severe limb injuries. In most of those cases, patients were not wearing a helmet,” says the Director of Gallaudet’s Student Health Services (SHS), James Huang, M.D. 

Alcohol can be a contributing factor in these accidents, notes Dr. Christine Gannon, an Associate Professor of Public Health. Her research on alcohol use by Deaf and Hard of Hearing students caught the attention of the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery (HECAOD), based at The Ohio State University.

The D.C. Department of Transportation, as part of its Vision Zero effort to eliminate fatalities and injuries on city streets, has linked up with HECAOD to create the D.C. Traffic Safety Project. Through this project, Gannon secured a grant this summer to study student behavior and launch a health promotion program. Gallaudet joins American, Catholic, and George Washington Universities in this initiative.

These partners want to learn about college students’ micromobility use and the impact of operating under the influence so that educators can address the high rates of incidents of students hurt on scooters or bikes, or hit by others.

Learning the landscape of traffic safety

First, Gannon put together the Gallaudet Safety Team, four paid student interns: Roman Alvarez, Keaobaka Dabutha, Kimberly MacLeod, and Kierra Tate. Joining these students and Gannon are two staff members: Huang and Associate Dean of Student Center Program and Services, Carl Pramuk, ’83.

A primary outcome of the project is to research, compile, and write a literature review of mobility safety. 

The review addresses a common misconception that the driving skills of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) drivers are worse than hearing people (they are comparable) and emphasizes that distraction is dangerous for drivers and pedestrians alike. The interns examined systemic issues, including non-inclusive traffic design, a lack of environmental visual safety cues, and cultural and communication barriers with law enforcement, all of which can negatively impact traffic safety. 

Though there is limited data on DHH drivers specifically, the research team emphasizes that education and policy enforcement can go a long way in increasing the safety of both drivers and pedestrians. 

Dabutha, a senior majoring in Public Health, says the interpretation process of writing the literature review is an especially beneficial skill. “Translating the conceptual information I read in articles into my own words makes it easier for everyone to understand,” he says. He also sees how his research can benefit the broader community in the future.

One survey they came across looked at the reasons college students don’t wear helmets: 43% said they don’t wear one because others don’t, while 34% do not believe they will have an accident. In addition, 44% of respondents didn’t like how helmets messed up their hair. “It will be interesting to see if those behaviors can change over time,” says Dabutha. 

Taking practical steps to spark change

Alvarez, a senior double majoring in Biology and Public Health, said he appreciated seeing his research skills improve over the course of the project. He also says he likes seeing a topic from various perspectives. “It’s good to see the difference in research-based questions coming out of science versus public health,” he says.

Aside from these critical research skills, Dabutha and Alvarez, also practiced their academic communication skills at STAMP Day where they explained the team’s work (pictured at top). Recognizing how public health overlaps with different aspects of campus life, they engage and partner with other units across the university. 

The team is collecting data in two ways. First, through an environmental scan that the PHS 203: Personal and Community Health class also worked on. Second, in December, they aim to conduct the Collegiate Traffic Safety Measure, a survey they modified to use at Gallaudet. Distributing helmets and flashlights as incentives for the upcoming survey, they will gather data on micromobility use from Gallaudet students, translate those findings, and then share them with the community. They will also use the findings to help design future health promotion activities and materials.

MacLeod, a senior double majoring in Public Health and Psychology, is already working with her supervisor, Pramuk, to create signage at Gallaudet’s front gate to remind students to wear their helmets. Pramuk has a straightforward message for students, saying: “We already know that helmets significantly reduce brain injuries, including concussions. So why risk your life — or your brain — by skipping a basic layer of protection?” 

The interns will also work on incorporating messages about the correct placement of scooters and bicycles after use. Student Affairs and the Department of Public Safety have been working together to encourage students to park in docking zones, ensuring that sidewalks remain clear, safe, and accessible for all community members. The team is helping to support these efforts.

Huang supervises junior Psychology major and Biology minor Tate, who plans to create short safety promotion videos to broadcast around campus. These efforts could make a real difference in the choices students make and how they get around campus. “By increasing awareness of safe riding, we hope to see a decrease in serious injuries and an increase in students wearing helmets when using bikes and scooters,” Huang says.