Ma Liang: The policy dilemma and the way to relieve the "one helmet and one belt"

Text | MA Liang (Research Fellow, National Academy of Development and Strategic Studies, Chinese Min University, Professor, School of Public Administration)

On April 20, 2020, the Traffic Management Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security launched the "One Helmet, One Belt" safety protection operation nationwide, requiring local traffic management departments to improve the safety protection level of motorcycle, electric bicycle riders and car riders, and effectively reduce the number of traffic fatalities. However, due to the implementation of this policy in various localities since June 1, the market demand for safety helmets has been released centrally, and the price of safety helmets has soared, and in some areas, it has even reached the point of "a helmet is difficult to find".

In response to this problem, the Ministry of Public Security issued a document on May 20, requiring all localities to steadily promote the "one helmet, one belt" safety protection action, limiting the scope of law enforcement penalties to motorcycle riders who do not wear safety helmets, as well as car drivers and occupants who do not use seat belts, and do not make mandatory regulations on electric bicycles.

In the case of the intensification of the contradiction between supply and demand, the price increase of a commodity is naturally the inevitable result. We should not blame the merchants who have raised prices, nor can we blame the people who rush to grab it, but we should reflect on what is wrong with the policy itself. Why does a well-intentioned policy lead to bad policy outcomes?

Traffic accidents are an important hidden danger to public safety, with more than 47,000 deaths due to road traffic accidents in China in 2019. The high number of traffic accidents is related to both the rapid growth of motor vehicle ownership and people's non-compliance with traffic rules. In recent years, the rapid development of the takeaway and express delivery industry has highlighted this hidden danger, some takeaway brothers and express delivery brothers ignore traffic lights and rampage, and many have not yet worn safety helmets.

Article 51 of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, which was revised and implemented in 2011, states that "when a motor vehicle is driving, the driver and passenger shall use the seat belt in accordance with the regulations, and the driver and passenger of the motorcycle shall wear a safety helmet in accordance with the regulations." "Bicycles and e-bikes are non-motorized and therefore are not covered by this provision and are not subject to this law.

Because the design of some electric bicycles exceeds the national standards for maximum speed and overall size, drivers and passengers do not wear safety helmets and will face greater safety hazards. Therefore, it is indeed necessary to require the occupants of motorcycles and electric bicycles to wear safety helmets. In fact, whether it is a motorcycle, an electric bicycle, or a bicycle, you should wear a helmet to ensure traffic safety. For example, some developed countries generally require the wearing of safety helmets on bicycles, otherwise it is considered illegal.

The implementation of the "one helmet, one belt" policy is not only a concentrated expression of respect for and implementation of laws and regulations, but also an important commitment to ensure the safety of the people's personal and property. In reality, the embarrassment of this policy is related to the following reasons.

First of all, although the law has made provisions for the wearing of safety helmets, the traffic control department has not effectively implemented these regulations, often turning a blind eye or discounting them in the process of law enforcement. This is the same problem with the "car man" policy, which is explicitly stipulated but not enforced. The relaxation of policy implementation has made the driver and occupants not develop the habit of equipping safety helmets, and the traffic safety risk has also increased sharply.

In terms of the use of car seat belts, the use rate of drivers and front passengers has been high. This is related to effective electronic capture, but also to people's increased safety awareness. However, seat belt utilization for rear passengers remains low and has led to many otherwise avoidable casualties. If the traffic management department increases the intensity of law enforcement, I believe it will be greatly improved.

The "one helmet, one belt" security guard operation is an urgent good policy, but it must be implemented consistently. If a policy is to change people's behavior and develop habits that meet policy expectations, it needs to be persistent and discriminatory. If the law enforcement is carried out intermittently, it will only increase people's opportunistic tendencies, but will not help people to develop good behavior habits. Judging from the implementation of the "one helmet, one belt" policy, there is a deficiency in this kind of movement-style law enforcement, which makes it encounter great resistance in the process of implementation.

Secondly, when implementing policies, government departments should conduct a thorough investigation in advance to determine their feasibility and operability, so as to avoid being too hasty and wanting to be fast. Judging from the timing of this policy, it is less than two months before it is officially implemented, and it is difficult for people to prepare for it. When the policy was introduced, the authorities did not consider these questions: How many motorcycles and electric bicycles are there in the country? How many people are currently wearing safety helmets? How long does it take for an enterprise to reach production capacity? Failure to accurately predict and lay out these problems in advance, and to impose regulations simply and extensively, is obviously not conducive to the solution of policy problems. At the same time, this also reflects the lack of adequate information sharing and collaborative governance among government departments, which makes the synergy between departments and greatly reduces the effectiveness of policies.

More importantly, the introduction of this policy coincides with the epidemic period, the resumption of work and production of enterprises has not yet returned to a normal state, and people's production and life are still slowly recovering. In order to prevent and control the epidemic, some regions have suspended traffic policies such as motor vehicle restrictions. At this time, the hasty implementation of the "one helmet and one belt" policy is not ready for either the supply side or the demand side, and it is obvious that it will be too hasty.

Third, in the implementation of the "one helmet, one belt" policy, the complexity of the problem was not recognized. Compared with motor vehicles, motorcycles and electric bicycles are diverse and numerous, and it is much more difficult to check and correct violations. Compared with motor vehicles, motorcycles and electric bicycles have a lower license rate, and a large number of them are in the state of unlicensed driving and unlicensed riding. Before requiring people to wear helmets, they should first check and ensure that the license plates of motorcycles and e-bikes are fully compliant and the driver's licenses are equipped. Otherwise, the hasty implementation of policies in the absence of a clear base could distort them. At the same time, the current allocation of police forces in various places is focused on meeting the needs of epidemic prevention and control, and it is difficult to ensure the manpower needed for the implementation of the "one helmet, one belt" policy.

Finally, when implementing policies such as "one helmet and one belt" that require the cooperation of the people, it is particularly necessary to consider combining strong pressure and boosting to make the policy truly conform to the will of the people and win the people's hearts. On the one hand, severe penalties should be imposed for violations of not wearing safety helmets in accordance with regulations. On the other hand, it is also necessary to strengthen publicity and guidance to help the public cooperate with the implementation of policies.

When it comes to behaviors that require policy intervention, such as helmet wearing, people are often lucky and think that equipping and carrying helmets with them is a nuisance. At this time, probation and education, so that it can subtly develop behavioral habits, can achieve a once-and-for-all effect. For example, shooting heart-warming propaganda films that warn people about the importance of wearing safety helmets correctly and regulating the use of seat belts will help to encourage more people to voluntarily cooperate with government policies.

Studies in Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and other countries have found that government departments requiring people to wear helmets when riding motorcycles have led to other unintended effects, such as significantly reducing the number of motorcycle thefts. The reason why thieves show mercy to motorcyclemen is that they don't want to carry their helmets with them before committing crimes. In contrast, the number of thefts of motor vehicles and bicycles has increased slightly, which has something to do with the fact that thieves are not equipped with helmets and are instead eyeing them.

In the same way, if government departments want to get the cooperation of the public in wearing safety helmets, they may also have to make a lot of efforts to scientific research, evidence-based decision-making and rational law enforcement, rather than taking it for granted and patting their heads that as long as the policy is introduced, it will be implemented, and the problem will be cured.

(The article represents the views of the author only.) Editor-in-charge Email: [email protected])