Empirical analysis of speeding behaviour and determining speed limits for bicycles

Electric bicycle (EB) usage has been increasing rapidly in China, and reached approximately 200 million in 2013 (Xinhua News, 2013). On the one hand, China has the strictest law for EBs with the lowest speed limit compared to the other countries. On the other hand, EB-related deaths and injuries have been very severe and up to 5,314 and 26,966 in 2012 (Ministry of Public Security in China, 2012). There has been little research on speed limit for bicycles, and resulting in the development of relevant laws and policies for speed limit of EB is difficult and not evidence-based. This extended abstract describes potentially speeding riding behaviors for different types of bicycles, investigates factors influencing the speeding practices in China, and proposes a model for determining the speed limits for EBs under different conditions.