Multi-modal Surveillance and Behavioral Interventions for Micromobility Safety: A Data-Driven "Safety Ecosystem" to Mitigate Traumatic Brain Injury

The rapid proliferation of micromobility (electronic scooters and bikes) represents a transformative shift in transportation use, yet its adoption has outpaced the safety frameworks required to protect users of these transportation modes. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a leading cause of disability in California, and at the University of California, Davis Level 1 Trauma Hospital, the patient registry of encounters reveals that a new epidemic has emerged: a 100% increase in electronic scooter-related traumatic brain injuries within a single year (2023-2024), where only 8% of injured riders were helmeted, and 100% of patients who died were unhelmeted riders. This project will establish a multidisciplinary "Safety Ecosystem" that moves beyond reactive trauma treatment toward a proactive, data-driven prevention model for innovative policy development. By integrating retrospective clinical outcomes from the registry and Fire Department prehospital data with innovative video-based behavioral surveillance, the research team will identify the intersection of high-risk infrastructure and rider behavior (e.g., helmet use, rider speed) that may influence patient outcomes, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality related to micromobility. A targeted microlearning intervention will be designed to bridge the educational gap between clinical risk and public perception. This multidisciplinary approach will provide a scalable framework for leveraging innovative data to inform infrastructure management and safety policy, as it relates to the rising burden of brain injury among vulnerable populations who rely on micromobility.

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