Cautious behaviors of pedestrians while crossing narrow streets: Exploration of behaviors using virtual reality experiments. (November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Luu, Duc Trung; Eom, Hyunjoo; Cho, Gi-Hyoug; Kim, Seung-Nam; Oh, Jihun; Kim, Jeongseob
• Is Part Of: Transportation research. Volume 91(2022)
• Page Start: 164
• Page End: 178
• Publication Date: 2022-11
• Subjects: Cautious behavior -- Sequential decision -- Situation awareness -- Pedestrian crash -- Pedestrian accidents -- Virtual reality; Automobile drivers -- Psychology -- Periodicals; Automobile driving -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Transportation -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 629.283019
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trf.2022.09.024
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1369-8478

Abstract

Highlights: Pedestrians' behaviors in narrow local roads to ensure transportation safety. Virtual reality-based experiments to explore cautious behaviors of pedestrians. There are trade-off relationships between various crossing behaviors. The contexts and sequences matter in behaviors for intersection crossing. The sequential understanding of before- and during-crossing behaviors is needed. Abstract: This study explores the cautious behaviors of pedestrians in a typical local street environment using virtual reality (VR)-based experiments under various physical safety design scenarios for roadways. The built environment of this study focused on narrow local roads where frequent daily walking occurs within a neighborhood. VR experiments can provide an objective and accurate measurement of pedestrian behaviors, thus improving the understanding of complicated pedestrian behaviors. Based on experimental data from 200 university students, we identified pedestrians' crossing behavior that is cautionary or risky concerning various physical safety designs of streets. This study found that there are trade-off relationships between various behaviors which should be systematically studied to produce safer street design guidelines. Furthermore, as the contexts and sequences matter in behaviors for intersection crossing, the interpretation of behaviors should carefully consider the context of built environments and sequential decisions made by pedestrians. This sequential understanding of before- and during-crossing behaviors and their connections expands our knowledge of pedestrians' crossing behaviors.