%0 Journal Article
%T Estimating helmet wearing rates via a scalable, low-cost algorithm: a novel integration of deep learning and google street view.
%A Li Q
%A Wang X
%A Bachani AM
%J BMC Public Health
%V 24
%N 1
%D 2024 Jun 20
%M 38902622
%F 4.135
%R 10.1186/s12889-024-19118-0
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Wearing a helmet reduces the risk of head injuries substantially in the event of a motorcycle crash. Countries around the world are committed to promoting helmet use, but the progress has been slow and uneven. There is an urgent need for large-scale data collection for situation assessment and intervention evaluation.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>This study proposes a scalable, low-cost algorithm to estimate helmet-wearing rates. Applying the state-of-the-art deep learning technique for object detection to images acquired from Google Street View, the algorithm has the potential to provide accurate estimates at the global level.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Trained on a sample of 3995 images, the algorithm achieved high accuracy. The out-of-sample prediction results for all three object classes (helmets, drivers, and passengers) reveal a precision of 0.927, a recall value of 0.922, and a mean average precision at 50 (mAP50) of 0.956.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>The remarkable model performance suggests the algorithm's capacity to generate accurate estimates of helmet-wearing rates from an image source with global coverage. The significant enhancement in the availability of helmet usage data resulting from this approach could bolster progress tracking and facilitate evidence-based policymaking for helmet wearing globally.