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Applying Traffic Psychology and Human Factors to Understand and Prevent Road Trauma: Now and Tomorrow

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Behavior, Chronic Disease and Health Promotion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 28679

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios

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Guest Editor

Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety-Queensland (CARRS-Q), Queensland University of Technology, 2 George St, Brisbane City QLD 4000, Australia
Interests: human factors; behavioral adaption; human-computer Interaction; systems psychology; safety

Dr. Yuting Zhang

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Guest Editor

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, Shaanxi, China
Interests: collision avoidance; driver behaviour; physiological measurement

Dr. Mark Johann King

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Guest Editor

Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety-Queensland (CARRS-Q), Queensland University of Technology, 2 George St, Brisbane City QLD 4000, Australia
Interests: traffic psychology; risky behaviours; injury prevention; low and middle-income countries; vulnerable road users

Dr. Xiaomeng Li

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Guest Editor

Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety-Queensland (CARRS-Q), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), K Block, 130 Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia
Interests: intelligent transport systems (ITS); driving simulators; driving performance; traffic engineering; traffic safety
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Tyron Louw

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Guest Editor

Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
Interests: vehicle automation; psychophysiology; driver behavior; human-machine interface; technology acceptance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Road trauma is a major cause of both fatalities and disability worldwide. Specifically, road crashes involving motorists and vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists result in the most severe consequences for human health. Emerging technologies such as vehicle automation are aimed at reducing the criticality of near-misses/crashes and improving the sustainability of the transport system. However, estimates suggest that benefits from automated vehicles are only likely to become widespread once numerous challenges around policy, public perception, technology, infrastructure, and human–system integration have been addressed. Therefore, to facilitate a transition to a safer mobility ecosystem, it is important to investigate the determinants of road users’ behaviours as well as their limitations and capabilities.

This Special Issue provides a platform for research using traffic psychology and human factor frameworks, theories, and methodologies, both in the traditional transport context and a future automated transport system. Traffic psychology is the study of the behaviour of road users and the psychological processes underlying that behaviour. The human factor includes the application of scientific knowledge of human strengths and limitations to the design of systems in the work environment to ensure safe and effective performance. Road safety benefits from the application of theories, philosophies, frameworks, and methodologies originating from these two symbiotic disciplines.

Researchers are invited to submit manuscripts regarding any aspect of road user behaviour (i.e., pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and users of other mobility devices) that influences the safety of all road users in the transportation system. We also expect contributions from researchers developing or evaluating advanced transport systems capable of increasing the safety of all road users. Papers addressing the context of intelligent transport systems and automation are particularly welcome. Qualitative, quantitative, and review articles are encouraged.

Dr. Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios
Dr. Mark Johann King
Dr. Xiaomeng Li
Dr. Tyron Louw
Dr. Yuting Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Driver behavior
Vulnerable road users
Risky behaviour
Human–machine interaction (HMI)
Intelligent transport systems (ITS)
Vehicle automation
Risk perception
Road safety
Attitudes
Road education

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 978 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Electric Bicycle Riders’ Use of Mobile Phones While Riding on Campus

by Yanqun Yang, Linwei Wang, Said M. Easa and Xinyi Zheng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 5905; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19105905 - 12 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1603

Abstract

Based on the theory of rational action (TRA), overconfidence theory (OT), and deterrence theory (DT), this study explores the reasons for mobile phone use by Chinese students riding electronic bicycles (e-bikes) in Fuzhou City. We tested the reliability and validity of an extended TPB, OT and DT questionnaire (with 531 eligible responses) and constructed a structural equation model of mobile phone use behavior while riding e-bikes, based on the improved model. The structural equation model (SEM) is used to evaluate the relationship between the internal factors of mobile phone riding behavior. The results show that the correlation among mobile phone dependence, punishment mechanism, attitude, and controllable operation impacts e-bike riders’ behavior when using mobile phones while riding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Traffic Psychology and Human Factors to Understand and Prevent Road Trauma: Now and Tomorrow)

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17 pages, 2429 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Level of Service Model of the Non-Motorized Vehicle Crossing the Signalized Intersection Based on Riders’ Perception Data

by Xiaofei Ye, Yi Zhu, Tao Wang, Xingchen Yan, Jun Chen and Bin Ran

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(8), 4534; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084534 - 09 Apr 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1898

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the factors affecting the LOS (level of service) of non-motorized vehicles crossing the signalized intersection and to construct an appropriate method to evaluate the LOS. Aiming at the mixed non-motorized traffic flow of electric vehicles and bicycles in the Chinese metropolis, the delay model in the highway capacity manual (HCM) was modified by taking two new factors into account: the pedestrian traffic rule compliance rate and the fuzzy perception of arrival rate in reality. The results show that the data obtained by the modified model are more consistent with the actual one. Next, a comparison was established between the linear regression method and cumulative logistic regression to determine the variables that affect the LOS, and finally, a LOS evaluation index system based on threshold schemes was defined. The recommended LOS model can provide corresponding references for traffic engineers who seek to improve the level of service in urban intersections. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Traffic Psychology and Human Factors to Understand and Prevent Road Trauma: Now and Tomorrow)

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17 pages, 614 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reassessing Fitness-to-Drive in Drinker Drivers: The Role of Cognition and Personality

by Luigi Tinella, Alessandro Oronzo Caffò, Antonella Lopez, Francesco Nardulli, Ignazio Grattagliano and Andrea Bosco

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(23), 12828; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312828 - 05 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2132

Abstract

Drunken driving is among the main challenges for road safety by causing worldwide motor-vehicle crashes with severe injuries and deaths. The reassessment of fitness-to-drive in drivers stopped for drunken driving includes mainly psychological examinations. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and the consistency of selected variables of different psychological driving-related dimensions (i.e., cognitive skills and personality) in discriminating 90 male drinker drivers (DD) from matched non-drinkers controls. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Mental Rotation Test (MRT), and the Perspective-Taking Test (PT) were administered to assess overall cognitive functioning, and object- and self-based spatial transformation abilities, respectively. Participants completed a computerized test measuring resilience of attention (DT), reaction times (RT), and perceptual speed (ATAVT). The Personality Psychopathology Five scales (i.e., PSY-5: Aggressiveness-AGGR, Psychoticism-PSYC, Disconstraint-DISC, Negative-Emotionality-NEGE, and Introversion-INTR) the validity scale (L) and the dissimulation index (F-K) were scored from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2). A logistic binomial regression analysis (backward subtraction method) was used to identify discriminant predictors. A prediction analysis (ROC curve method) was performed on the final model. Results showed that the scores obtained in MRT, DT, and the personality measures of PSYC, DISC, NEGE, and INTR significantly discriminated DD from their matched controls with moderate-to-good values of accuracy (0.79), sensitivity (0.80), and specificity (0.79), as well as a good AUC value (0.89). In some cases, the personality dimensions provided—reliable—unexpected results. Low scores of PSYC, NEGE, and INTR were found to predict the membership to the DD group; results are discussed with reference to response management. Personality measures should be assessed with particular attention in a forensic context because they are more prone to be feigned than cognitive ones. Overall, the present study confirmed the relevance of integrating different driving-related psychological dimensions in the evaluation of fitness-to-drive showing the usefulness of standardized tools for the reassessment of drinker drivers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Traffic Psychology and Human Factors to Understand and Prevent Road Trauma: Now and Tomorrow)

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19 pages, 750 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Drivers’ Intentions to Use Different Functionalities of Conditionally Automated Cars: A Survey Study of 18,631 Drivers from 17 Countries

by Tyron Louw, Ruth Madigan, Yee Mun Lee, Sina Nordhoff, Esko Lehtonen, Satu Innamaa, Fanny Malin, Afsane Bjorvatn and Natasha Merat

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(22), 12054; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182212054 - 17 Nov 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2796

Abstract

A number of studies have investigated the acceptance of conditionally automated cars (CACs). However, in the future, CACs will comprise of several separate Automated Driving Functions (ADFs), which will allow the vehicle to operate in different Operational Design Domains (ODDs). Driving in different environments places differing demands on drivers. Yet, little research has focused on drivers’ intention to use different functions, and how this may vary by their age, gender, country of residence, and previous experience with Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS). Data from an online survey of 18,631 car drivers from 17 countries (8 European) was used in this study to investigate intention to use an ADF in one of four different ODDs: Motorways, Traffic Jams, Urban Roads, and Parking. Intention to use was high across all ADFs, but significantly higher for Parking than all others. Overall, intention to use was highest amongst respondents who were younger (<39), male, and had previous experience with ADAS. However, these trends varied widely across countries, and for the different ADFs. Respondents from countries with the lowest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and highest road death rates had the highest intention to use all ADFs, while the opposite was found for countries with high GDP and low road death rates. These results suggest that development and deployment strategies for CACs may need to be tailored to different markets, to ensure uptake and safe use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Traffic Psychology and Human Factors to Understand and Prevent Road Trauma: Now and Tomorrow)

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19 pages, 431 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determinants of Users’ Attitude and Intention to Intelligent Connected Vehicle Infotainment in the 5G-V2X Mobile Ecosystem

by Zhiyuan Yu and Doudou Jin

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10069; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910069 - 25 Sep 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2617

Abstract

With the accelerating industrialization of 5G-V2X and smart automobiles, the intelligent connected vehicle (ICV) integrated with sophisticated communication, caching, computing, and control techniques enhance the functionality of in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) and also provide more powerful telematic or entertainment choices in vehicular environment. The diverse needs of ICV users (e.g., drivers and passengers) can be satisfied during commuting and traveling. However, considering the limitations of transportation environment, the potential attitude and usage behavior for the upcoming ICV infotainment directly impacts on the traffic and road safety in sustainable cities. In this paper, we conduct an online and offline survey to investigate the key factors influencing the user attitude and intention of ICV infotainment, where the answers of a total of 502 valid respondents (i.e., IVI users) are collected in China. A conceptual technology acceptance model with the constructs of perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), social influence (SI), consumer innovation (CI), and perceived risk (PR) is established, and then assessed via partial least square structural equation modeling. We find that the constructs of PU, PEOU, CI, and SI have a direct impact on attitude and usage intention, of which 46.8% and 73.4% of variance, respectively, are explained. The respondents show positive attitudes and higher usage intention towards the ICV infotainment. Although PR has insignificant path with attitude and intention, the driving experience moderation effect exists between PR and usage intention. We can see that ICV infotainment will become a trend in future transportation scenario. Through this survey, reference for traffic safety and usage norms will be provided to reduce the risky of public health issues (e.g., traffic accidents) in the context of ICV infotainment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Traffic Psychology and Human Factors to Understand and Prevent Road Trauma: Now and Tomorrow)

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18 pages, 4803 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of EEG Characteristics of Drivers and Driving Safety in Undersea Tunnel

by Yongzheng Yang, Zhigang Du, Fangtong Jiao and Fuquan Pan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(18), 9810; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189810 - 17 Sep 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2275

Abstract

To study the influence of the driving environment of an undersea tunnel on driver EEG (electroencephalography) characteristics and driving safety, a real vehicle experiment was performed in the Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Tunnel. The experimental data of the drivers’ real vehicle experiment were collected using an illuminance meter, EEG instrument, video recorder and other experimental equipment. The undersea tunnel is divided into different areas, and the distribution law of driving environment characteristics, EEG characteristics and vehicle speed characteristics is analyzed. The correlations between the driving environment characteristics, EEG characteristics and vehicle speed characteristics model the variables that pass the correlation test. The driving safety evaluation model of an undersea tunnel is established, and the driving safety in different areas of the undersea tunnel is evaluated. The results show that there are obvious differences in illumination, EEG power change rate, vehicle speed and other variables in different areas of the undersea tunnel. The driving environment characteristics are highly correlated with the β wave power change rate. The driving safety of different areas of the undersea tunnel from high to low is: upslope area, downslope area, exit area and entrance area. The study will provide a theoretical basis for the safe operation of the undersea tunnel. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Traffic Psychology and Human Factors to Understand and Prevent Road Trauma: Now and Tomorrow)

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18 pages, 2548 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Driver Liability Assessment in Vehicle Collisions in Spain

by Almudena Sanjurjo-de-No, Blanca Arenas-Ramírez, José Mira and Francisco Aparicio-Izquierdo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(4), 1475; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041475 - 04 Feb 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2011

Abstract

An accurate estimation of exposure is essential for road collision rate estimation, which is key when evaluating the impact of road safety measures. The quasi-induced exposure method was developed to estimate relative exposure for different driver groups based on its main hypothesis: the not-at-fault drivers involved in two-vehicle collisions are taken as a random sample of driver populations. Liability assignment is thus crucial in this method to identify not-at-fault drivers, but often no liability labels are given in collision records, so unsupervised analysis tools are required. To date, most researchers consider only driver and speed offences in liability assignment, but an open question is if more information could be added. To this end, in this paper, the visual clustering technique of self-organizing maps (SOM) has been applied to better understand the multivariate structure in the data, to find out the most important variables for driver liability, analyzing their influence, and to identify relevant liability patterns. The results show that alcohol/drug use could be influential on liability and further analysis is required for disability and sudden illness. More information has been used, given that a larger proportion of the data was considered. SOM thus appears as a promising tool for liability assessment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Traffic Psychology and Human Factors to Understand and Prevent Road Trauma: Now and Tomorrow)

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12 pages, 657 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Age-Related Vision Changes on Driving

by Sonia Ortiz-Peregrina, Carolina Ortiz, Miriam Casares-López, José J. Castro-Torres, Luis Jiménez del Barco and Rosario G. Anera

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(20), 7416; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207416 - 12 Oct 2020

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3661

Abstract

Aging leads to impaired visual function, which can affect driving—a very visually demanding task—and has a direct impact on an individual’s quality of life if their license is withdrawn. This study examined the associations between age-related vision changes and simulated driving performance. To this end, we attempted to determine the most significant visual parameters in terms of evaluating elderly drivers’ eyesight. Twenty-one younger drivers (aged 25–40) were compared to 21 older drivers (aged 56–71). Study participants were assessed for visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, halos, and intraocular straylight, which causes veiling luminance on the retina and degrades vision. Driving performance was evaluated using a driving simulator. The relationships between simulated driving performance and the visual parameters tested were examined with correlation analyses and linear regression models. Older drivers presented impairment in most visual parameters (p < 0.05), with straylight being the most significantly affected (we also measured the associated effect size). Older drivers performed significantly worse (p < 0.05) in the simulator test, with a markedly lower performance in lane stability. The results of the multiple linear regression model evidenced that intraocular straylight is the best visual parameter for predicting simulated driving performance (R² = 0.513). Older drivers have shown significantly poorer results in several aspects of visual function, as well as difficulties in driving simulator performance. Our results suggest that the non-standardized straylight evaluation could be significant in driver assessments, especially at the onset of age-related vision changes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Traffic Psychology and Human Factors to Understand and Prevent Road Trauma: Now and Tomorrow)

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14 pages, 2263 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Naturalistic Driving Study in Brazil: An Analysis of Mobile Phone Use Behavior while Driving

by Jorge Tiago Bastos, Pedro Augusto B. dos Santos, Eduardo Cesar Amancio, Tatiana Maria C. Gadda, José Aurélio Ramalho, Mark J. King and Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(17), 6412; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176412 - 03 Sep 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4102

Abstract

Mobile phone use (MPU) while driving is an important road safety challenge worldwide. Naturalistic driving studies (NDS) emerged as one of the most sophisticated methodologies to investigate driver behavior; however, NDS have not been implemented in low- or middle-income countries. The aim of this research is to investigate MPU while driving and compare the results to those reported in international studies. An analysis of 61.32 h and 1350 km driven in Curitiba (Brazil) showed that MPU lasted for an average of 28.51 s (n = 627) and occurred in 58.71% of trips (n = 201) with an average frequency of 8.37 interactions per hour (n = 201). The proportion of the trip time using a mobile phone was 7.03% (n = 201), and the average instantaneous speed was 12.77 km/h (n = 627) while using the phone. Generally, drivers spent less time on more complex interactions and selected a lower speed when using the phone. MPU was observed more during short duration than longer trips. Drivers in this study engaged in a larger number of MPU compared to drivers from Netherlands and the United States; and the percentage of trip time with MPU was between North American and European values. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Traffic Psychology and Human Factors to Understand and Prevent Road Trauma: Now and Tomorrow)

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18 pages, 1559 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Are Your Eyes “on the Road”? Findings from the 2019 National Study on Vision and Driving Safety in Spain

by Ignacio Lijarcio, Sergio A. Useche, Javier Llamazares and Luis Montoro

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(9), 3195; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17093195 - 04 May 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3119

Abstract

Background: Vision is an undisputable contributor to the explanation of many human-factor related traffic crashes happening every day. The Inland Transport Committee (ITC), the United Nations regulatory platform, included on 1st April 2020 special action on the vision of road users inside the ITC Recommendations for Enhancing Road Safety Systems. The results of this wide-scale study on drivers’ vision health conducted in Spain perfectly illustrates the need of global action and its potential impact on the public health figures and the burden of potentially preventable traffic causalities. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess three key visual health issues (i.e., visual acuity, visual field campimetry and glare recovery) among Spanish drivers, in order to formulate implications and possible guidelines to enhance road safety. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined the visual health of a representative sample of 3249 drivers (70% females and 30% males) with a mean age of 41 (SD = 13) years, gathered from all the 17 autonomous communities of Spain. Results: The tests performed allowed to determine that 15% of Spanish drivers have a poor photopic vision, while 38% of them present an inadequate mesopic vision. Further, 23% of drivers have deficiencies in peripheric visual field campimetry, and the average time for full-vision recovery after a 10-s glare was 27 s. Sex, age and driver type (professional vs. non-professional) differences were found for the study variables. Conclusions: The findings of this study support the idea that certain demographic-based population groups of drivers present several unaddressed deficiencies and impairments in visual health. Overall an estimated 29.5% of Spanish drivers present visual issues, that need to be attended in order to enhance the prevention of driving crashes and the road safety of all road users. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applying Traffic Psychology and Human Factors to Understand and Prevent Road Trauma: Now and Tomorrow)

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