Evaluating bicyclists’ risk perception using video clips: Comparison of frequent and infrequent city cyclists

Hazard and risk perception has been studied extensively among car drivers, and their link to crash involvement is established. Bicyclists, in particular, are vulnerable road users. Better understanding of their risk and hazard perception could help to improve their traffic safety.In this study, we investigated the risk perception of bicyclists in a city environment. Two groups of bicyclists were compared: 19 frequent and 19 infrequent bicyclists. Participants were shown video clips taken with a camera attached to the handlebar of a bicycle, and they were asked to continuously indicate with a slider how much caution the situation needed.The frequent cyclists had more frequent rises in the caution estimate, which suggest that they anticipated or detected more hazards than infrequent cyclists. This is in line with the classical hazard perception results, which link the car driving experience to faster and more accurate hazard perception. The overall level or caution was not directly related to the rise event rate or bicycling frequency. Those cyclists who reported typically cycling faster than others showed elevated overall level of caution on sidewalks compared with others, but there was no difference on bike paths.     

Unsafety on two wheels,or social prejudice? Proxying behavioral reports on bicycle and e-scooter riding safety – A mixed-methods study

The use of non-motorized transportation and micro-mobility is increasing in many cities. Bicycle riding and e-scooter use are now more common and affordable than ever. However, users of these devices face certain key issues. These include their own risky behaviors as well as involvement in conflicts with other road users. Self-report data may not adequately capture these behaviors and interactions. Despite this, more objective data (i.e., how third parties perceive these users’ road behaviors) is scarce. Aims: This study aimed to understand whether e-scooter riders have comparable or different riding behaviors than cyclists. This was investigated using a mixed-method study. Methods: This paper is divided into two sub-studies. In Study 1, 950 Spanish non-cyclists and non-e-scooter riders (mean age 31.98 ± 13.27 years; 55.3% female) provided external ratings (proxies) regarding the perceived behaviors of bicycle and e-scooter riders. In Study 2, collective Rapid Assessment Processes (RAPs; n = 23) were used to develop qualitative configurations of some of the key risky behaviors highlighted in Study 1. Results: There were significant differences in the perceived errors and violations rated by proxies for both types of riders (with e-scooter riders perceived as having higher rates of risky behaviors). However, there were also structural differences in the effects of external raters’ risk perceptions, traffic rule knowledge, and traffic incidents with two-wheeled riders on how they rated the behaviors. Conclusion: The results of both studies suggest that external raters’ perceptions provide further understanding of the causes, dynamics, and conflicts related to road behaviors performed by certain groups of road users. This is particularly apparent when there is no clear legislation and information on safe riding in urban areas. In this sense, improving infrastructure could promote safer interactions. Finally, road safety education could focus on promoting safer practices and interactions in order to improve how others perceive riders’ behavior.     

Understanding cyclist identity and related interaction strategies. A novel approach to traffic research

It is an established fact that interaction of road users is crucial for road safety. However, the knowledge about what governs people’s behaviour in interaction with others and what these interactions mean is not well documented. The present study introduces a novel approach for traffic safety research and puts the cyclist identity at the centre of attention, in order to answer the questions how the heterogeneity of cyclists in terms of applied interaction strategies, opinions towards infrastructure and traffic safety can be explained. For this purpose, a qualitative study following the Grounded Theory methodology has been carried out. Fifteen in-depth-interviews with cyclists in Vienna were analysed in order to obtain data about these questions. As a result, we present a model sketch about constructing a cyclist identity, which serves as a framework that links different power relations in traffic, the switching perspectives of being a cyclist/car user and the changing conditions of cycling traffic policy through interaction strategies of self-portrayal, power demonstration and coping with fear. Finally, we argue that applying the often overlooked concept of ‘identity’ can bring new concepts into the debate on traffic safety for cyclists and support efficient traffic policy making.     

Predictors of perceived road collision/incident risk among horse users: A survey study from Norway

Although horse users in traffic are a vulnerable road user group, traffic safety problems among them are scantly examined by previous research. The main aim of the present study was to examine the role of some demographic variables, traffic safety attitudes, and level of knowledge about rules and regulations applying to horse use in traffic for predicting perceived road collision/incident risk in a sample of horse users in Norway. An online survey was conducted to collect data from a total of 1733 horse users including horse riders and drivers of horse-drawn sulky, wagon or sled. The respondents accessed the survey via a link put to the website of the Norwegian Horse Centre, which is in contact with many different horse user environments in Norway. The majority of the respondents were female and between the ages of 18–30. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the predictors of the perceived collision/incident risk involving other motor vehicles. Results showed that traffic safety attitudes among horse users were the strongest predictor of the perceived collision/incident risk. In particular, horse users reported a negative attitude towards the other road users (e.g. drivers) indicating that they perceive the other road users’ actions and approaches as the biggest source of risk in road traffic. The level of knowledge about the rules and regulations applying to horse use, especially in walking and cycling lane, was relatively low among the respondents. However, knowledge about rules and regulations did not appear as a strong predictor of the perceived collision/incident risk. Results indicate the need to increase road users, especially drivers’, awareness about the problems and needs of horse users in traffic.     

Influences on anger in German urban cyclists

Previous research shows that anger and aggression among road users lead to maladjusted driving and a higher risk of accidents. Especially cyclists as vulnerable road users have a high risk of being injured if they are involved in accidents. This paper examines reasons for cycling anger in two studies. The first study aimed at identifying anger provoking events. Seventy-three cyclists were invited to discuss anger provoking events in a focus group setting. These events were rated regarding their anger intensity, clustered within focus groups, and aggregated across all groups. The first study revealed 208 unique cycling anger provoking events of varying anger intensity that were summarized in six clusters. The second study aimed at validating these anger provoking events, the ratings, and the clusters. Here, 129 participants were asked to complete a four-time point diary study (over the course of ten days), in which they registered all anger provoking events that they experienced while cycling. The results of this study validated most of the anger provoking events of the first study. Both studies show that most anger provoking events are related to conflicts between cyclists with other road users like car drivers and pedestrians. Moreover, conflicts with car drivers seem to cause stronger anger among cyclists than conflicts with other cyclists or pedestrians. Implications for further research and the planning of road infrastructure are discussed.     

Cars overtaking cyclists on different urban road types – Expectations about passing safety are not aligned with observed passing distances

Cars overtaking cyclists have been identified as a source of crashes and subjective risk. Several studies investigated the passing distance for different road types. There has been less research concerning cyclists’ expectations concerning the passing distance at different road types. Thus, we aim at contrasting cyclists’ expectations about the passing safety for different speed limits and cycling infrastructures with the passing distances observed at corresponding urban road types. For this purpose, we show participants images of a predefined set of survey zones in a web-based survey, and ask them about the expected passing safety of cars overtaking them when imagining riding their bikes at these locations. We measure the observed passing distances at the same survey zones with a bike-mounted sensor. We find that cars meet the German legal minimum passing distance of 1.5 m in towns in only 30% of all observed events. In 30 km/h speed zones, passing distances at roads featuring dedicated cycling infrastructure (e.g. bike lanes, cycling boulevards) are decreased as compared to those featuring no cycling infrastructure. In contrast, people estimate that the passing safety on roads with dedicated cycling infrastructure is safer than without cycling infrastructure. This effect is even more pronounced on living streets. Situations where oncoming cars (e.g. living streets, ‘opposite’ roads) must be passed in close distance are apparently not perceived as particularly dangerous. Cycling tracks in 50 km/h speed zones increase both the observed passing distance and the corresponding expectations about passing safety. Taken together, the qualitative comparison of the two datasets implies that cyclists’ expectations about cars passing them in a more adequate and safe distance in streets with reduced speed limits and dedicated cycling infrastructure are not justified in light of the actually observed passing distances. Possible explanations for the contradicting patterns could be that cyclists prefer situations where space is explicitly dedicated for bikes, that they account for the anticipated car traffic volume, and that they assume oncoming cars as less dangerous to pass.     

Traffic safety climate attitudes of road users in Germany

This paper validates traffic safety climate attitudes based on a representative sample of road users of all travel modes. We use the German version of the Traffic Climate Scale (TCS) which was applied in a large-scale road safety survey in 2010. A total of 1680 people were surveyed. The sample is representative for socio-demographic characteristics and travel mode choice in Germany. Factor analysis reveals a three-factor structure of traffic safety climate with the factor ‘External affective demands’ describing emotional engagement in traffic, the factor ‘Internal requirements’ representing individual skills and abilities to successfully participate in traffic, and the factor ‘Functionality’ describing requirements for a functional traffic system. The less emotionally demanding and the more functional traffic is perceived to be, the safer people feel in traffic. External affective demands are consistently related to the perception of others’ driving/riding style but not to one’s own, whereas internal requirements are consistently related to one’s own driving/riding style but not to the perception of others. There is no relation between traffic safety climate and accidents or near accidents. Contrary to our expectations, a positive traffic safety climate is associated with more secondary tasks while driving and traffic violations. Behavioural control beliefs may mediate the traffic climate–traffic behaviour relationship. The results are discussed with reference to attitude research and the theory of planned behaviour in particular.     

Investigating cycling kinematics and braking maneuvers in the real world: e-bikes make cyclists move faster,brake harder,and experience new conflicts

Pedelecs (e-bikes), which facilitate higher speeds with less effort in comparison to traditional bicycles (t-bikes), have grown considerably in popularity in recent years. Despite the large expansion of this new transportation mode, little is known about the behavior of e-cyclists, or whether cycling an e-bike increases crash risk and the likelihood of conflicts with other road users, compared to cycling on t-bikes. In order to support the design of safety measures and to maximize the benefits of e-bike use, it is critical to investigate the real-world behavior of riders as a result of switching from t-bikes to e-bikes.Naturalistic studies provide an unequaled method for investigating rider cycling behavior and bicycle kinematics in the real world in which the cyclist regularly experiences traffic conflicts and may need to perform avoidance maneuvers, such as hard braking, to avoid crashing. In this paper we investigate cycling kinematics and braking events from naturalistic data to determine the extent to which cyclist behavior changes as a result of transferring from t-bikes to e-bikes, and whether such change influences cycling safety.Data from the BikeSAFE and E-bikeSAFE naturalistic studies were used in this investigation to evaluate possible changes in the behavior of six cyclists riding t-bikes in the first study and e-bikes in the second one. Individual cyclists’ kinematics were compared between bicycle types. In addition, a total of 5092 braking events were automatically extracted after identification of dynamic triggers. The 286 harshest braking events (136 cases for t-bike and 150 for e-bike) were then validated and coded via video inspection.Results revealed that each of the cyclists rode faster on the e-bike than on the t-bike, increasing his/her average speed by 2.9–5.0 km/h. Riding an e-bike also increased the probability to unexpectedly have to brake hard (odds ratio = 1.72). In addition, the risk of confronting abrupt braking and sharp deceleration were higher when riding an e-bike than when riding a t-bike.Our findings provide evidence that cyclists’ behavior and the way cyclists interact with other road users change when cyclists switch from t-bikes to e-bikes. Because of the higher velocity, when on e-bikes, cyclists appear to have harder time predicting movements within the traffic environment and, as a result, they need to brake abruptly more often to avoid collisions, compared with cycling on t-bikes. This study provides new insights into the potential impact on safety that a cycling society moving to e-bikes may have, indicating that e-cycling requires more reactive maneuvers than does cycling traditional bicycles and suggesting that any distractive activity may be more critical when riding e-bikes compared to traditional bikes.     

The impact of a child bike seat and trailer on the objective overtaking behaviour of motorized vehicles passing cyclists

IntroductionThe lateral clearance distance of a motorized vehicle while overtaking a cyclist is a key indicator of safety. This lateral clearance distance has never been measured for cyclists transporting a child. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate the behaviour of motorized vehicles in overtaking cyclists with and without a child on the same bicycle.MethodsThe lateral clearance distance of the overtaking manoeuvres of motorized vehicles was measured using an instrumented bicycle when performing 19 cycling trips on one single road with two different types of cycling infrastructure (a bike lane and shared lane marking) in the Brussels Capital Region (Belgium). Mixed effect regression was used to examine the effect of cycling condition (cyclist without a child [control], cyclist with a child bike seat and cyclist with a child bike trailer) and secondary independent variables (i.e. cycling infrastructure, peak traffic hours and traffic density) on the lateral clearance distance.ResultsThe mean lateral clearance distance in ‘cyclists without child’ was significantly smaller (117.3 cm) than in ‘cyclists with child’ (128.8 cm) (95%CI [7.2;15.9]). Looking at ‘morning peak traffic hours’ (i.e. 7:00 to 9:00 a.m.) a cyclist with child bike seat was overtaken at greater lateral clearance distances than a cyclist with a child bike trailer or a cyclist without child (p=0.041). Furthermore, the percentage of passing manoeuvres under 100 cm was significantly higher in ‘cyclist without child’ (35.3%) in comparison to ‘cyclist with child bike seat’ (21.8%) and ‘cyclist with child bike trailer’ (21.8%) (Chi2=29.19, p<0.001). No significant differences were found between a shared lane marking and bike lane.ConclusionDrivers of motorized vehicles do adapt their overtaking manoeuvre when they overtake cyclists transporting a child, keeping greater and therefore safer lateral clearance distances. In morning peak traffic hours and/or crowded circumstances the child bike seat can be considered as the safest way to transport a child in terms of lateral clearance distance. In general, with 25.3% overtaking manoeuvres under 100cm, police should monitor compliance with the traffic rules with regard to cyclists, and motorists should be more aware of the overtaking traffic rules.     

Cyclists’ handheld phone use and traffic rule knowledge

Phone use is likely to distract cyclists and possibly increase crash risk. Therefore, handheld phone use among cyclists is forbidden by law in some countries, even though cyclists use compensatory strategies to attempt to mitigate distractions and related effects. Both demographic, environmental, and psychological factors have been associated with cyclists’ phone use. This study extends the existing literature by including traffic rule beliefs as an explanatory measure in predicting cyclists’ handheld phone use and additionally explores how well cyclists know these rules in different legislative contexts. Online questionnaire responses were collected in 2019 among 1055 cyclists living in Denmark (N = 568), where handheld phone use for cyclists was forbidden, and in the Netherlands (N = 487), where it was legal. Responses on phone use, traffic rule knowledge, cycling behaviour, demographic, and psychological measures were used to identify factors contributing to the likelihood of handheld phone use in three regression models; one for all respondents and one for each country. In the combined model, believing there are no rules on handheld phone use increased the likelihood of handheld phone use while cycling. Other significant factors were subjective norm, perceived behavioural difficulty, self-identity as a safe cyclist as well as demographic factors. The country-specific models found that male gender was only associated with more handheld phone use in the Netherlands, while believing there was no ban was only connected to an increase in the likelihood of using handheld phone in Denmark. Correct traffic rule knowledge was almost three times higher in Denmark, where handheld phone use was forbidden. The results identify subjective norms, potential overconfidence, and traffic rule awareness (when there is a ban) as relevant factors in reducing the likelihood of cyclists’ handheld phone use. Findings from country-specific models possibly point to a connection between culture and traffic rules. Future research should focus on underlying mechanisms and awareness of traffic rules.     

Multimodal traffic safety concerns in a university population

Travelers have different concerns about traffic safety, which may affect their transportation choices and risk-taking behaviors as well as the overall safety performance of multimodal transportation systems. The objective of this study was to examine factors associated with stated concerns surrounding traffic safety among travelers using multiple transport modes. The analysis used data from an online questionnaire survey completed by over 2,000 students and employees at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, US. Four latent variables—concerns about pedestrians and cyclists, auto drivers, modal interactions, and roadway conditions—were confirmed using factor analysis from 16 questions about traffic safety concerns. These four types of safety concerns were then analyzed to understand their associations with mode choice, commuting behavior, and socio-demographics using a structural equation model. Results showed that safety concern varied systematically among different mode users and demographic groups. Auto drivers perceived interactions with pedestrians and cyclists as concerning, while non-auto users felt more concerned by automobile traffic. Commuters who were recently involved in a crash were especially concerned with non-motorized modes. Women, lower-income, and non-white road users were more concerned with traffic safety overall. Findings about multimodal traffic safety concerns provide insights into people’s perceptions, which can be useful in developing designs, plans, and policies for making a safer transportation system for all road users.     

Yielding behavior and traffic conflicts at cyclist crossing facilities on channelized right-turn lanes

Channelized right-turn lanes (CRTLs) improve traffic flow efficiency, enabling right-turning drivers to bypass traffic lights at signalised intersections (for right-hand drive countries). Many CRTLs provide crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. Previous studies examining the safety performance of CRTLs indicate that they increase overall safety levels but hint that safety issues regarding vulnerable road users exist. This study investigated these issues through site-based observations of yielding behavior and evaluated the effect of the priority rule on cyclists’ safety in two CRTL designs. Four locations in Belgium were selected for video observations: two where the priority rule favoured cyclists and two where motorists had priority.With regard to yielding, four types of crossing behavior were identified and defined. Independent of the priority rule, cyclists crossed the conflict zone first in most interactions without taking the initiative to cross first. Underlying reasons for motorists willingly giving away their right-of-way could not be determined, but possible courtesy or fear of inflicting injuries at vulnerable road users might be at hand. A safety evaluation was performed using two traffic conflict indicators (TTC_min and the TA value). High correlations between the two indicators were found (r² > 0.83), but no conclusions about the safest priority rule for cyclists could be drawn. The results hinted, however, that locations with motorist priority and cyclists crossings from right to left (from the driver’s point of view) yields the highest proportion of safety critical events.     

Safety perceptions and reported behavior related to cycling in mixed traffic: A comparison between Brisbane and Copenhagen

This study explores the differences in safety perceptions and reported behavior of cyclists in mixed traffic between an emerging cycling city (Brisbane, Australia) and an established cycling city (Copenhagen, Denmark). Perceptions and reported behavior were retrieved from a custom-designed web-based survey administered among cyclists in the two cities. Elicited items concerned perceived risk of infrastructure layouts, fear of traffic, cycling while distracted, use of safety gear, cycling avoidance due to feeling unsafe, and avoidance to cycle in mixed traffic conditions. The data were analyzed with structural equation models. Results show that, in comparison with cyclists in Copenhagen, cyclists in Brisbane perceive mixed traffic infrastructure layouts as less safe, feel more fear of traffic, and are more likely to adopt cycling avoidance as a coping strategy. Results also show that cyclists in Copenhagen tend to use less helmets and to cycle more while being distracted.     

Exploring the relationships between pedestrian behaviours and traffic safety attitudes in six countries

The majority of cross-cultural research on traffic safety has investigated driver behaviour, yet in most low- and middle-income countries, where the weight of the road fatality burden is felt, motorisation rates are significantly lower than in higher-income countries. As such, this approach necessarily excludes large parts of the populations in those settings. In order to investigate the link between traffic safety attitudes and road user behaviours, this study used a self-report measure of pedestrian behaviour, applying it in six countries; Bangladesh, China, Kenya, Thailand, the UK, and Vietnam. Focus was on the relationships between a respondent’s attitude towards risky or rule violating on-road behaviours (of other road users, or more generally, not specific to pedestrians), and the extent to which they reported performing three types of risky pedestrian behaviours (i.e., intentional rule violations, errors in judgement or memory, and aggressive behaviours). Data from a sample of 3,423 individuals was subjected to a series of regression models, revealing significant links between attitudes and pedestrian behaviours in all countries, in all three behavioural factors, after controlling for age, gender, and exposure to the road environment. Differences were found between countries in the strength of these relationships, with weaker connections between attitudes and behaviours in Kenya, and stronger connections in China (with other countries in-between the two). Results are discussed in terms of the need to understand the relationships between social cognitive constructs in the specific country in which a road safety intervention is intended to be implemented.     

Young pedestrians' behaviours and risk perception: a pilot study with Italian early adolescents

This study aimed to investigate early adolescents’ mobility, taking into consideration risky pedestrian behaviours around roads and their relationship with independent mobility and risk perception in different traffic situations. The participants were 922 students, males (48%) and females, aged 10–14 and who attended the seventh (51%) and ninth grades in a medium-sized city in southern Italy. They completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire at school, specifically designed for the research. Measures included mode of transport, level of independent mobility, frequency of risky behaviours as a pedestrian and risk perception of these behaviours. Moreover, students were asked to evaluate the risk, their likely behaviour, and likely motives for risky behaviour in a specific traffic scenario concerning a risky road crossing shown on a video. Gender and age differences were taken into consideration, and relationships between risky behaviour as a pedestrian, level of independent mobility and different measures of risk perception (concerning both risk behaviour as a pedestrian and in the video scenario) were investigated. Results showed that risky behaviours while travelling as a pedestrian were more widespread among ninth grade students and those who were more independent. Moreover, a strong relationship between a greater involvement in risky pedestrian behaviours and lower risk perception and a greater tendency to justify risky behaviours were found in the students. Results suggested the implementation of a prevention programme in early adolescence to improve both risk perception in specific traffic situations and the awareness of motives of risky road behaviours.     

Relationships amongst psychological determinants,risk behaviour,and road crashes of young adolescent pedestrians and cyclists: Implications for road safety education programmes

Road safety education (RSE) assumes that psychological determinants predict risk behaviour, and subsequently that risky road behaviour predicts crash involvement. This study examined the validity of this assumption, by analysing these relationships in two age groups of teen cyclists and pedestrians: a younger age group (12 and 13 years old: n = 1372) and an older age group (14–16 years old: n = 938). A questionnaire was administered at school during regular class consisting of items on demographics, on risk behaviour based on the Generic Error Model System (GEMS), on psychological determinants targeted in RSE programmes, and on crash involvement and near crashes. For the younger age group, the results indicated that the risk behaviours ‘errors’, ‘dangerous play’, and ‘lack of protective behaviour’ predicted self-reported crashes; for the older age group only ‘errors’ were found to be predictive of self-reported crashes and near crashes. Path analyses confirmed that risk behaviour could be predicted from the psychological determinants, sharing respectively 44% of the variance in the younger age group and 34% in the older group. In conclusion, these results confirm the RSE assumption that psychological determinants are associated with a higher frequency of risk behaviours and that the latter are again associated with higher crash frequencies. Just as in earlier studies on adolescent risk behaviour, the GEMS based distinction between errors and violations was not confirmed, suggesting that this distinction – derived from studies on adult car drivers – may not apply to young adolescent cyclists and pedestrians.     

Promoting traffic safety among young male drivers by means of elaboration-based interventions

Previous research in social psychology has brought about significant changes in attitudes and behaviour by merely asking respondents to imagine, or reflect, on a phenomenon and arrive at their own conclusions. To test the potential of such interventions in the traffic safety area, an experiment comprising 353 young men 18–23 years old with a driver’s licence was conducted. Two experimental groups were induced to imagine a severe accident scenario and to visualize their feelings and the consequences on their future lives. A control group was interviewed about neutral issues. Attitudes towards risk-taking were measured post-intervention and at follow-up. The experimental groups showed more “ideal” attitudes than the control group post-intervention. At follow-up the attitudes of the experimental group remained unchanged, whereas the control group had changed towards more “ideal” attitudes. Self-reported risk-taking behaviour was measured pre-intervention and at follow-up. At follow-up all groups reported significantly less risk-taking behaviour than at pre-intervention. It is suggested that answering the questionnaires increased mental elaboration concerning risky driving, and it is concluded that interventions that unobtrusively make drivers reflect on their driving should be explored further as a means to promote traffic safety.     

Analysis of the factors affecting drivers’ queue-jumping behaviors in China

In China, drivers’ queue-jumping behaviors are very common. To explore the factors affecting drivers’ queue-jumping, first, a driving attitude scale, a risk perception scale and a queue-jumping behavior scale were designed, and an existing Type A behavior pattern scale and a driver skill scale were also introduced. Second, these scales were used to collect empirical data, and 202 valid samples were obtained. Third, the reliability and validity of the developed scales were verified, and a structural equation model of drivers’ queue-jumping behaviors was established to explore the interrelationships among the Type A personality trait, cognitions (including attitudes and risk perception), driver skills (including driving skill and safety motivation) and queue-jumping behaviors. The results showed that drivers’ cognitions significantly affected their queue-jumping behaviors; specifically, drivers’ attitudes toward queue-jumping and traffic violations positively correlated with their queue-jumping behaviors (β = 0.323, t = 3.470; β = 0.277, t = 3.072), while drivers’ risk perception toward queue-jumping negatively correlated with their queue-jumping behaviors (β = −0.297, t = −3.889). Drivers’ driving skill and safety motivation also significantly affected their queue-jumping behaviors (β = 0.198, t = 2.385; β = −0.355, t = −4.101). Although Type A personality trait had no significant effects on drivers’ queue-jumping behaviors, it had significant effects on drivers’ attitudes toward queue-jumping and traffic violations (β = 0.336, t = 4.720; β = 0.215, t = 2.873) and their risk perceptions toward queue-jumping (β = −0.232, t = −3.279). In other words, the Type A personality trait can indirectly affect drivers’ queue-jumping behaviors through drivers’ attitudes and risk perceptions toward queue-jumping. The results provided offer traffic administration departments a theoretical foundation for governing this behavior.     

Do cyclists need HMIs in future automated traffic? An interview study

Cyclists are expected to interact with automated vehicles (AVs) in future traffic, yet we know little about the nature of this interaction and the safety implications of AVs on cyclists. On-bike human–machine interfaces (HMIs) and connecting cyclists to AVs and the road infrastructure may have the potential to enhance the safety of cyclists. This study aimed to identify cyclists’ needs in today’s and future traffic, and explore on-bike HMI functionality and the implications of equipping cyclists with devices to communicate with AVs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 cyclists in Norway and 15 cyclists in the Netherlands. Thematic analysis was used to identify and contextualise the factors of cyclist-AV interaction and on-bike HMIs. From the analysis, seven themes were identified: Interaction, Bicycles, Culture, Infrastructure, Legislation, AVs, and HMI. These themes are diverse and overlap with factors grouped in sub-themes. The results indicated that the cyclists prefer segregated future infrastructure, and in mixed urban traffic, they need confirmation of detection by AVs. External on-vehicle or on-bike HMIs might be solutions to fulfil the cyclists’ need for recognition. However, the analysis suggested that cyclists are hesitant about being equipped with devices to communicate with AVs: Responsibility for safety should lie with AV technology rather than with cyclists. A device requirement might become a barrier to cycling, as bicycles are traditionally cheap and simple, and additional costs might deter people from choosing cycling as a transport mode. Future studies should investigate user acceptance of on-bike HMIs among cyclists on a larger scale to test the findings’ generalisability, and explore other, perhaps more viable solutions than on-bike HMIs for enhancing AV-cyclist interaction.