Road injuries to pedestrians and cyclists in mainland China: a scoping review of national policies from 2003 to 2023

Walking and cycling play crucial roles in reducing obesity and promoting health. However, pedestrians and cyclists are vulnerable road users, highlighting the need to implement policies to protect them. This study aimed to provide a systematic description of mainland China’s national policies regarding pedestrian and cyclist road injuries over the past two decades, while identifying potential gaps according to measures proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to enhance pedestrian and cyclist road safety. A total of 28649 policies were examined, and eventually, 106 policies issued by 44 organizations were included, among which 23 were jointly developed. The results show an overall upward trend in policy quantity and a stable trend in policy intensity. Most of the WHO interventions had corresponding policy support in China, except for promoting the ‘walking school bus’ program and strengthening bicycle helmet-wearing. The findings of this study offer valuable insights for future policy development.