Traffic Safety Research
type: channel
description: Traffic Safety Research (TSR) is an academic-led, international, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, Fair Open Access scientific journal. It was founded in 2021 with a clear objective to contribute to the global transition toward the Safe System approach in road transportation. The TSR publishes high-quality research from a wide range of disciplines—including engineering, psychology, sociology, economics, medicine, political science, and other relevant fields—that help to explain and address road traffic injuries and fatalities. The journal places strong emphasis on the real-world relevance of both the research questions and the findings. Why another journal? Read our mission statement. Publication topics? Read more about the journal's focus and scope. What papers get published? See our operational quality criteria and check out the TSR's webinars on excellence in traffic safety research. Do I need to pay? Read more about our financing model and production fees. Indexing? Read about the TSR's current indexing status. Who is behind? Meet the editorial team.
publisher: Technology & Society | LTH | Lund University
language: en-US
publication name: Traffic Safety Research
issn: 2004-3082
items: Human rights jurisprudence and road safety outcomes: the ECtHR's impact on European traffic policy
items: Towards a European key performance indicator for safe urban roads: lessons from the Trendline project
items: Language matters: an experimental study of language patterns' effects on traffic safety perceptions in Germany
items: The effect on cyclist safety of daytime running lights
items: The validity of the short driver behaviour questionnaire in varying road users groups in India: age, gender, and driving frequency
items: Determinants of crash numbers and constellations at turbo roundabouts in Germany
items: Safe System, Vision Zero, and Sustainable Safety: a scoping review
items: Using crowdsourced data to assess safety in developing countries: the case study of Eastern Cairo, Egypt
items: Investigation on road traffic safety in rural areas using trajectory data: case studies at two measurement sites
items: Quantifying the upper levels of Hydén's traffic safety pyramid using global data
items: Severity Indices as measurement tools for road safety in mountainous highway sections: case study of the Centinela–La Rumorosa highway
items: What characterizes bicycle and e-scooter accidents not included in official accident statistics? Lessons learned from the ReCyCLIST project in Agder, Norway
items: How can we integrate road safety into occupational health and safety management ‘to save lives beyond 2025’? A study of safety management among drivers at work
items: Lateral shifting behavior of vehicles at horizontal curves and its influencing factors: application of LightGBM and SHAP
items: An investigation of traffic safety knowledge, behaviour and risk perception for schoolchildren: a case study of India
items: How accurate do car driver report their travelled speed before an accident: a comparison with insights of the Event Data Recorder
items: The importance of infrastructure and road safety culture for pedestrian safety: a comparison of three European and three African countries
items: TARGET setting for high severity collisions: tolerance-based assessment of risk for generalized event thresholds
items: Road safety culture and the Safe System: comparing beliefs and behaviours in African and European countries
items: Extreme value analysis for safety benefit estimation of adaptive cruise control (ACC)
items: Predicting injury severity in vehicle-to-pedestrian collisions: evidence from Madhya Pradesh state, India
items: Explaining acceptance and acceptability of connected automated vehicles: the impact of evaluations of attributes and traffic complexity
items: Effects of heavy trucks on cyclists during overtaking manoeuvres: a controlled study
items: Traffic offenses, court charges, and repeated citations among teen drivers with traffic violations
items: Winter slip-and-fall accidents in Finland: characteristics and views on their prevention
items: Built environment characteristics and driving speed in 30 km/h zones: a Dutch national analysis
items: Long combination vehicles overtaking cyclists: a field study in regular traffic
items: A hybrid Structural Equation Modeling and Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis framework for using limited samples to relate cycling performance to behavioral traits
items: Data-driven high friction surface treatment applications for roadway safety
items: Come together: an exploration on social driving behaviour of automated vehicles
items: Evaluating urban intersections: a comparative study of roundabouts versus protected U-turns—which is better?
items: Bridging the gap: understanding the factors affecting pedestrian safety perceptions in the age of driverless vehicles
items: Modeling the effects of drive error and impairment on crash injury severity
items: Evaluation of the human interaction with automated vehicles on highways
items: Applying model-based recursive partitioning to improve pedestrian exposure models to support transportation safety analyses
items: Pedestrians' attributions of risk and safety in traffic: case of Türkiye
items: Surrogate safety evaluation of incorrect pedestrian detection at signalized intersections
items: Estimating intersections' near-crash conflicts with the drone-based image-recording data
items: Assessing the Ghanaian driver's susceptibility to distraction engagement
items: Safety performance functions in a road environment with automated vehicles
items: Assessment of safety orientation in driving skills aligned with performance: a data-triangulation approach
items: Mixed logit model and classification tree to investigate cyclists crash severity
items: Examining the effects of texting, web surfing, and navigating apps on urban driving behavior and crash risk
items: Single-vehicle injury crashes on rural roads in Iceland: contribution of unforgiving roadsides to fatal and serious injuries of vehicle occupants
items: Increase road safety or reduce road danger: challenging the mainstream road safety discourse
items: Effects of automatic emergency braking systems to reduce risk of crash and serious injuries among pedestrians and bicyclists
items: Specific road safety issues in low- and middle income countries (LMICs): an overview and some illustrative examples
items: Capacity building for road safety in LMICs: the need for a sustainable local knowledge and research infrastructure
items: Identification of hazardous road locations using ambulance data
items: Potential of heavy goods vehicle countermeasures to reduce the number of fatalities in crashes with vulnerable road users in Sweden

Human rights jurisprudence and road safety outcomes: the ECtHR's impact on European traffic policy
type: item
description: This article examines the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) approach to enhancing road safety across Europe in implementing the right to life under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. By analyzing formative judgments such as Smiljanić v. Croatia, this article demonstrates that the Court has slowly begun recognizing road traffic risks as an issue impacting the right to life by imposing substantive and procedural positive obligations on states. This article argues that the ECtHR's jurisprudence establishes structural standards to prevent dangerous driving, build public confidence, and ensure that states can build their capacity for preventative work in the area of road safety.
creator: Seyed Hesamoddin Lesani
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Seyed Hesamoddin Lesani https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-12-04
publication date: 2025-12-04
volume: 9
starting page: e000118
ending page: e000118
doi: 10.55329/fvea6179

Towards a European key performance indicator for safe urban roads: lessons from the Trendline project
type: item
description: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are an important instrument for road safety policy making. This paper presents a KPI for safe urban roads that was developed and tested in the European Trendline project. Based on discussions with 18 experts from 8 countries, it was decided to start with the basic indicator ‘Share of 30 km/h road length of the total length of urban roads’ which was tested in five pilot countries using available local, national and international (GIS) databases. The share of 30 km/h roads appeared to differ considerably between the pilot countries, ranging from less than 1% in the city of Silistra in Bulgaria to 73% in the Netherlands. The pilots showed that it is possible to calculate the KPI, although it is important to check the quality of the speed limit data and there will be some differences in selections due to data availability and local context. Also the use of additional indicators related to the concept of safe speeds was explored in the pilots. The calculation of these indicators appeared to be more challenging and further research is recommended to further develop these additional KPIs.
creator: Wendy Weijermars
creator: Elisabete Rodrigues
creator: Johannes Mesimäki
creator: Simon Sternlund
creator: Maria Georgieva
creator: Jan Hendrik van Petegem
creator: Teun Uijtdewilligen
creator: Augusto Torbay
creator: Ana Amaro
creator: Ana Vidigal
creator: Fernando Rosa
creator: Wouter Van den Berghe
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Wendy Weijermars, Elisabete Rodrigues, Johannes Mesimäki, Simon Sternlund, Maria Georgieva, Jan Hendrik van Petegem, Teun Uijtdewilligen, Augusto Torbay, Ana Amaro, Ana Vidigal, Fernando Rosa, Wouter Van den Berghe https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-07-03
publication date: 2025-07-03
volume: 9
starting page: e000099
ending page: e000099
doi: 10.55329/yxna7190

Language matters: an experimental study of language patterns' effects on traffic safety perceptions in Germany
type: item
description: Traffic crashes claim over 1.19 million lives globally each year, yet public support for proven safety measures remains limited. Research suggests that media language patterns may influence public perceptions of traffic violence and policy preferences. This study replicates Goddard et al.'s (2019) experimental design study in the German context, examining how editorial patterns in crash reporting affect responsibility attribution, penalty preferences, and policy support. Using a randomized controlled experiment (N = 1,537), participants read one of three versions of a fictitious news article: status-quo language reflecting common German reporting patterns, agent-focused language avoiding victim-blaming formulations, or agent-focused plus contextual information. Results show that shifting from victim-focused to agent-focused language substantially reduced pedestrian responsibility attribution (from 48.9% to 44.4%) and increased responsibility attributed to the driver (from 43.5% to 48.1%). Adding contextual information enlarged these effects, with driver responsibility attribution reaching 54.8% and pedestrian responsibility attribution dropping to 33.2%. Contextual framing also increased support for structural interventions and reduced support for campaigns appealing to individual behavior. These findings confirm that language patterns in German road traffic collision reporting—including metonymy, passive voice, reflexive verbs, and the lack of context information—systematically shift perceived responsibility toward vulnerable road users. The study demonstrates that more precise language in traffic reporting can increase public support for evidence-based safety policies, suggesting an ethical imperative for improved editorial practices.
creator: Dirk von Schneidemesser
creator: Hugo Caviola
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Dirk von Schneidemesser, Hugo Caviola https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-10
publication date: 2025-10-10
volume: 9
starting page: e000106
ending page: e000106
doi: 10.55329/oyoz9269

The effect on cyclist safety of daytime running lights
type: item
description: On average, Danes cycle 1.3 kilometres per person per day. However, according to emergency department statistics, each year more than 16,000 cyclists are injured in Denmark. In an effort to improve cyclist safety we tested the effect of daytime running lights (DRL) on the number of cyclist accidents. Using a randomised controlled trial design, 5,380 voluntary cyclist participants were randomly assigned to a test group (using DRL continuously for one year) or a control group (using their usual light routine for one year). Participants were provided with accident surveys once each month. A total of 230 accidents were reported: 121 in the test group and 109 in the control group. Most accidents were multi-party accidents (MPAs), took place in winter and in daylight. Safety effect of DRL was estimated as incidence rate ratio (IRR) between the test and control group. The incidence rate is the number of accidents per person-month. Reports of single-bicycle accidents (SBAs) in daylight were used to correct for potential report bias following Madsen et al. (2013). For multiparty personal injury accidents (PIAs), the corrected overall effect of DRL was a 25% risk reduction. The effect was insignificant. For all multiparty accidents, the corrected overall effect of DRL was an insignificant 30% risk reduction. For multiparty accidents in the dark, the effect of DRL was a significant 71% risk reduction. This is surprising, since it would be fair to assume that DRL primarily would affects accidents in daylight, where cyclists typically do not have lights on. The finding is likely due to participants in the test group having much better lighting at night than participants in the control group—or simply because some cyclists in the control group non-compliantly with the Road Traffic Act did not use lights at night during the experiment.
creator: Tove Hels
creator: Tanja Kidholm Osmann Madsen
creator: Michelle Cederstrøm Christensen
creator: Anders Brogaard Tallaksen
creator: Harry Lahrmann
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Tove Hels, Tanja Kidholm Osmann Madsen, Michelle Cederstrøm Christensen, Anders Brogaard Tallaksen, Harry Lahrmann https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-12-05
publication date: 2025-12-05
volume: 9
starting page: e000117
ending page: e000117
doi: 10.55329/qwqe8132

The validity of the short driver behaviour questionnaire in varying road users groups in India: age, gender, and driving frequency
type: item
description: The Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) is a widely used tool for assessing driving behaviours and their implications for road safety. This study examined the factor structure of the DBQ in an Indian context, where cultural and regulatory conditions may shape aberrant driving patterns differently. Data were collected from 1,665 drivers across multiple states through both online and in-person surveys, with 1,657 valid responses retained after outlier removal. The dataset included 28 DBQ items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, along with demographic variables. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted to explore alternative two-, three-, and four-factor structures, followed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to evaluate the model fit. EFA suggested a two-factor solution as a simpler data-driven representation; however, it demonstrated weak reliability in one factor and a limited ability to distinguish between constructs. In contrast, the four-factor solution not only explained more variance (37.55%) with balanced reliability across factors, but also aligned with theoretical expectations and prior DBQ research. CFA further confirmed the superiority of the four-factor model, which yielded stronger fit indices (χ²/df = 7.601, CFI = .851, RMSEA = .063) and demonstrated measurement invariance across gender, age, and driving frequency. The four factors—Risky and Rule-Violating Behaviours, Safe and Responsible Driving Practices, Driving Errors and Cognitive Lapses, and Distracted and Emotionally Influenced Driving—offer a robust, culturally adapted framework for understanding driver behaviour in India. This validated structure provides a reliable basis for identifying high-risk behaviours and guiding evidence-based road safety interventions.
creator: Rahul Kshatriya
creator: Pooja K M
creator: Yogeshwar V Navandar
creator: Karuppanagounder Krishnamurthy
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Rahul Kshatriya, Pooja K M, Yogeshwar V Navandar, K Krishnamurthy https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-11-09
publication date: 2025-11-09
volume: 9
starting page: e000116
ending page: e000116
doi: 10.55329/rffp3251

Determinants of crash numbers and constellations at turbo roundabouts in Germany
type: item
description: Turbo roundabouts are a relatively new design. Thus far, research on their safety has focused on comparisons with other types of intersection and the effects of physical lane dividers. This study investigates crash patterns at German turbo roundabouts, based on a largely complete sample of such roundabouts and detailed data on infrastructure characteristics, traffic volumes and crashes. We calculate the crash rates for turbo roundabouts as a whole, as well as for their individual elements, including entries and exits, and the circulatory roadway. In addition, crash constellations are analysed and crash prediction models are computed, for all crashes and for the two most relevant crash constellations right-of-way and rear-end crashes. The results confirm earlier research findings that turbo roundabouts effectively combine high capacity with high safety levels. The results add new insights, thanks to the more detailed analysis. Entries and right-of-way crashes are most relevant, followed by rear-end crashes which mainly occur at the circulatory roadway. Crash constellations differ significantly between the different elements of the roundabouts, traffic volumes increase crash numbers for all designs and elements. We find no significant effects of the different types of marked lane dividers in our sample, this suggests that drivers do not respect solid lines and that physical dividers are potentially needed to prevent drivers from changing lanes in the circulatory roadway. The detailed analysis of crash patterns in this study enables specific recommendations to be made for improving safety at turbo roundabouts further and exploiting their potential more effectively.
creator: Armin Kollascheck
creator: Martin Bärwolff
creator: Julian Schmitz
creator: Justin Geistefeldt
creator: Sebastian Hantschel
creator: Regine Gerike
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Armin Kollascheck, Martin Bärwolff, Julian Schmitz, Justin Geistefeldt, Sebastian Hanteschel, Regine Gerike https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-11-07
publication date: 2025-11-07
volume: 9
starting page: e000113
ending page: e000113
doi: 10.55329/mpaf3385

Safe System, Vision Zero, and Sustainable Safety: a scoping review
type: item
description: In this study, we provide a scoping review of the research literature on Vision Zero, Safe System and Sustainable Safety. Using a simplified PRISMA approach, we identify 129 studies, describing what year and where the studies are from, which topics the studies are about, and how the terms are used. Using a thematic analysis of the abstracts of the 129 studies, we identify seven main study topics in the studies. The most prevalent study topics are: 1) Case study/Implementation study, 2) Study on principles, 3) Study on practical/strategic use, 4) Study on "readiness", or factors that inhibit or promote implementation, 5) Vulnerable road users, inequality and social justice, 6) Results of measures and potential, and 7) Future challenges and solutions. We describe knowledge status, knowledge gaps and questions for future research within each study topic. The studies find that entities that have formally implemented the Safe System have relatively low levels of implementation, due to implementation barriers and operationalization challenges. The studies find that it is not necessarily clearly defined what Vision Zero/Safe System is in practice, and that the concept must be interpreted and translated by those who will implement it. Thus, current road safety policies do not fully realise the potential improvements that Safe System can provide, because the principles are not followed to a sufficient extent. A Norwegian study estimate that the number of road fatalities in Norway can be reduced by 50%–70% by following the Safe System principles fully and systematically. Thus, a major challenge, also in mature Safe System contexts, is to facilitate actual Safe System implementation, by mapping barriers/facilitators and Safe System readiness, and defining actions to realise the full potential of Safe System implementation.
creator: Tor-Olav Nævestad
creator: Ingeborg Storesund Hesjevoll
creator: Rune Elvik
creator: Øyvind Lothe Brunstad
creator: Jenny Blom
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Tor-Olav Nævestad, Ingeborg Storesund Hesjevoll, Rune Elvik, Øyvind Lothe Brunstad, Jenny Blom https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-12-08
publication date: 2025-12-08
volume: 9
starting page: e000115
ending page: e000115
doi: 10.55329/ekkh3689

Using crowdsourced data to assess safety in developing countries: the case study of Eastern Cairo, Egypt
type: item
description: Crowdsourced data refers to data that is collected and shared by a large number of individuals or organizations, often through the use of digital technologies such as mobile devices and social media. The shortage in crash data collection in developing countries makes it difficult to fully understand and address road safety issues in these regions. In developing countries, crowdsourced data can be a valuable tool for collecting crash data and improving road safety, particularly in urban areas where the majority of road crashes occur. This study is the first to develop safety performance functions using crowdsourced data by adopting a Negative Binomial structure model and Full Bayes (FB) model to investigate traffic safety for urban road networks and provide insights into the impact of roadway characteristics. Furthermore, as a part of the safety management process, network screening has been undergone through applying two different methods to rank the most hazardous road segments: Potential Collision Reduction (PCR) method (adopted in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM)) as well as a graphical method using GIS tools to compare and validate. The analysis revealed that segment length, number of lanes, and pedestrian density were significant factors positively associated with crash frequency. FB models with spatial correlation showed better performance in terms of logic and model fit compared to traditional models. The analysis found that both PCR and GIS-based kriging methods effectively identified hazardous segments, with kriging using summation criteria providing more consistent results when validated against PCR outcomes. Recommendations were proposed to improve pedestrian behavior, and control access points and U-turns, based on the observed impact on safety. Lastly, recommendations were suggested for policymakers to ensure safer roads and limitations regarding data coverage and the need for complementary official crash data were highlighted to guide future research.
creator: Mahmoud Ahmed Farrag
creator: Ali Zain Elabdeen Heikal
creator: Mohamed Shawky
creator: Ahmed Osama
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Mahmoud Ahmed Farrag, Ali Zain Elabdeen Heikal, Mohamed Shawky Ahmed, Ahmed Osama Amer https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-09-13
publication date: 2025-09-13
volume: 9
starting page: e000101
ending page: e000101
doi: 10.55329/yzsq3960

Investigation on road traffic safety in rural areas using trajectory data: case studies at two measurement sites
type: item
description: Analyses of daily driving patterns and near misses offer valuable insights into road safety, particularly as crashes are expected to become increasingly rare. While research has largely focused on highway and urban environments, rural areas remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap by investigating traffic behavior with a specific focus on safety-relevant scenarios at two rural sites in Germany, located south of Berlin along the Federal Road 179. We collected trajectory data and video material over a two-week observation period at each site. Although no accidents or critical conflicts were observed, several behavioral patterns emerged that may comprise traffic safety. Drivers frequently exceed the speed limits and engaged in overtaking maneuvers at intersections. Additionally, vehicles on the main road often yielded their right of way to avoid potential conflicts with turning traffic. The study further reveals that road users adapt their behavior to existing—yet underdeveloped—infrastructure, posing a potential safety risk. In particular, heavy vehicles such as trucks or motorhomes were observed making turns by crossing oncoming lanes, and vulnerable road users have to use the main road, coming into conflict with motorized traffic. These findings underscore the importance of targeted safety assessment and infrastructure improvements in rural traffic environment to reduce the potential of conflicts between different road users.
creator: Lars Klitzke
creator: Claudia Leschik
creator: Richard Lüdtke
creator: Kay Gimm
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Lars Klitzke, Claudia Leschik, Richard Lüdtke, Kay Gimm https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-12-05
publication date: 2025-12-05
volume: 9
starting page: e000120
ending page: e000120
doi: 10.55329/ditw1500

Quantifying the upper levels of Hydén's traffic safety pyramid using global data
type: item
description: Hydén's pyramid qualitatively displays the number of conflicts and road user crashes in different severities. Fatal crashes are on the top of the pyramid, undisturbed passages mark the base of it. To quantify the pyramid, open data from the German Accident Atlas and closed data from the Berlin Police have been analysed with respect to time of the week, crash severity, and conflict-type. The data display distinctive weekly patterns that may reflect the traffic state at the hour of the week. Analysing the ratio among these levels for different crash severity levels seems to demonstrate that serious crashes and fatal crashes sometimes follow a different pattern than property-damage-only crashes, or crashes with lightly injured people. A similar result holds true for the conflict-types. This may indicate that their genesis is a mixed bag: sometimes, the mechanisms are different, and sometimes, they are not.
creator: Marek Junghans
creator: Andreas Leich
creator: Ronald Nippold
creator: Peter Wagner
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Marek Junghans, Andreas Leich, Ronald Nippold, Peter Wagner https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-08-17
publication date: 2025-08-17
volume: 9
starting page: e000102
ending page: e000102
doi: 10.55329/vwkr5360

Severity Indices as measurement tools for road safety in mountainous highway sections: case study of the Centinela–La Rumorosa highway
type: item
description: The evaluation of road safety in highway infrastructure requires tools that enable the objective identification and prioritization of risk conditions. This study proposes the development of Severity Indices (SI), a quantitative tool designed to assess the severity level of road segments based on geometric and safety-related variables. Unlike traditional approaches based on qualitative audits, the SI allows for the establishment of severity levels through the integration of measurable and reproducible data. The guiding research question is: How can an index be constructed to quantify the level of road risk based on the physical characteristics of the road and their relationship to crash incidence? To validate the methodology, it was applied to the Centinela–La Rumorosa Highway in Baja California, Mexico—a roadway with high geometric complexity. Variables such as curvature, slope, superelevation, signage, and containment devices were analyzed and correlated with crash records using statistical and spatial analysis in Minitab version 21.1.0. A total of 35 critical points were identified in the descending direction and 28 in the ascending direction, to which SI values were assigned. The results show that this tool allows road safety assessments to be transformed into quantifiable, comparable, and technically informed decision-making processes. The development of the Severity Indices represents a significant methodological contribution to improving road safety evaluation, particularly in contexts where it is necessary to prioritize interventions based on evidence and consistent technical criteria.
creator: Itzel Núñez López
creator: Leonel Gabriel Garcia Gomez
creator: Julio Alberto Calderón-Ramirez
creator: Marco Antonio Montoya-Alcaraz
creator: Jose Manuel Gutiérrez Moreno
creator: Alejandro Sánchez Atondo
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Itzel Núñez López, Leonel García, Julio Calderón-Ramirez, Marco Montoya-Alcaraz, Manuel Gutiérrez, Alejandro Sánchez-Atondo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-11-08
publication date: 2025-11-08
volume: 9
starting page: e000114
ending page: e000114
doi: 10.55329/fvka8530

What characterizes bicycle and e-scooter accidents not included in official accident statistics? Lessons learned from the ReCyCLIST project in Agder, Norway
type: item
description: This study explores the characteristics of bicycle, e-bike, and e-scooter accidents that are not included in official Norwegian accident statistics, focusing on findings from the ReCyCLIST project in Agder County. Traditional accident reporting systems overlook most incidents involving vulnerable road users (VRUs), particularly single accidents, which represent the majority of such cases. ReCyCLIST introduced a digital self-reporting tool deployed in hospitals and clinics, collecting 671 accident cases between June 2022 and April 2024. The study analyses 487 incidents that occurred in traffic environments, revealing that 73% were single accidents, predominantly caused by infrastructure issues or loss of balance, rather than collisions. The data also highlight demographic differences in accident patterns by age, gender, and vehicle type. Notably, women were more frequently involved in e-scooter accidents, and men were overrepresented in racing bike collisions. Multivariate analysis shows that vehicle type, especially racing bikes, is a strong predictor of collisions. The findings emphasize the critical role of underreported single accidents and provide actionable insights for urban planning and policy development aimed at improving micromobility safety.
creator: Torkel Bjørnskau
creator: Ingeborg Storesund Hesjevoll
creator: Rikke Ingebrigtsen
creator: Katrine Karlsen
creator: Petr Pokorny
creator: Hanne Beate Sundfør
creator: Kjell Vegard Weyde
creator: Odd Mjåland
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Torkel Bjørnskau, Ingeborg Storesund Hesjevoll, Rikke Ingebrigtsen, Katrine Karlsen, Petr Pokorny, Hanne Beate Sundfør, Kjell Vegard Weyde, Odd Mjåland https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-03
publication date: 2025-10-03
volume: 9
starting page: e000108
ending page: e000108
doi: 10.55329/prfq7240

How can we integrate road safety into occupational health and safety management ‘to save lives beyond 2025’? A study of safety management among drivers at work
type: item
description: The Academic Expert Group (AEG) recommendations related to the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in 2025, suggests a strategy of ‘Saving Lives Beyond 2025’, through integrating road safety into occupational health and safety management; implementing safety management systems like ISO:39001, or ISO:45001, and through working with safety culture. In this study, we study commitment to road safety and the prevalence of road safety management measures, according to the Safety Ladder approach (Nævestad et al 2018). Based on survey data, we compare professional drivers at work; bus drivers (n = 305) and truck drivers (n = 298) and employees who drive at work who are not professional drivers (‘work drivers’) (n = 355). We also draw on data from qualitative interviews. We find that organizations with work drivers have a lower focus on road safety, and that they have introduced fewer safety management measures, compared to organizations with professional drivers. However, the study also shows that there is still potential for improvement in organizations with truck drivers and bus drivers. These also have an unexploited potential when it comes to implementing effective measures. Multivariate analyses indicate the importance of the Safety Ladder practices, as they influence safety culture, which in turn is related to driving style and accident involvement. Specifying the AEG recommendations into more concrete actionable steps, we suggest specific management practices that organisations can employ, based on the Safey Ladder approach, and specific third-party actions to motivate organisations to implement the management practices.
creator: Tor-Olav Nævestad
creator: Jenny Blom
creator: Ingeborg Storesund Hesjevoll
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Tor-Olav Nævestad, Jenny Blom, Ingeborg Storesund Hesjevoll https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-03
publication date: 2025-10-03
volume: 9
starting page: e000104
ending page: e000104
doi: 10.55329/eldk4357

Lateral shifting behavior of vehicles at horizontal curves and its influencing factors: application of LightGBM and SHAP
type: item
description: Horizontal curves are disproportionately associated with severe crashes due to increased vehicle instability and lane departure risks. This issue is particularly critical in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where poor lane discipline, mixed traffic, and geometric inconsistencies amplify crash potential. Despite its significance, lateral shifting (LS) behavior on horizontal curves remains understudied in LMIC contexts. This study addresses the research question: What are the key factors influencing the lateral shifting behavior of vehicles on rural horizontal curves, and how can they be modeled and interpreted effectively in LMIC conditions? Using trajectory data from 8,748 vehicles across 18 curve segments in India, an explainable machine learning framework is developed. Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) was selected for its superior performance in classification metrics compared to other ML models. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) were integrated to interpret model outputs and quantify feature contributions, while Shannon entropy was applied to assess prediction uncertainty. Findings reveal that lane type, vehicle speed, curve radius, lateral clearance, superelevation, and traffic interactions, especially oncoming vehicles, significantly influence lateral shifting behavior. SHAP analysis uncovers nonlinear effects and interaction patterns, including a threshold response to speed and clearance. Notably, the influence of preceding vehicles differs from oncoming traffic, suggesting asymmetric behavioral responses rarely captured in prior studies. This research fills four major gaps in existing literature related to context, terrain, feature scope, and methodology. It provides data-driven insights to support safer curve design and lane departure countermeasures tailored to LMIC road environments.
creator: Samrat Debbarma
creator: Wahengbam Ratankumar
creator: Subhadip Biswas
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Samrat Debbarma, Wahengbam Ratankumar, Subhadip Biswas https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-12-19
publication date: 2025-12-19
volume: 9
starting page: e000122
ending page: e000122
doi: 10.55329/ibsd7781

An investigation of traffic safety knowledge, behaviour and risk perception for schoolchildren: a case study of India
type: item
description: School-going children in India are disproportionately vulnerable to traffic-related injuries due to behavioural, infrastructural, and systemic shortcomings. Despite growing awareness of road safety, a major gap persists in understanding how cognitive and social factors jointly influence children’s safety orientation across different travel modes. This study examines the relationship between risk perception, safety attitudes, observed adult behaviours, and self-reported risky practices among Indian school children aged 12–18 commuting by two-wheelers, cars, auto-rickshaws, school buses, or private/state buses. Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 925 students across two Indian states through both online and offline surveys. Descriptive statistics, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and Multiple Regression Analysis were employed to identify latent constructs and assess the predictive influence of attitudinal, perceptual, and observational factors on children’s safety behaviour. Although most students demonstrated adequate safety awareness, observed adult misbehaviour and permissive risk attitudes significantly predicted unsafe practices. Regression analyses revealed that adult rule violations (β = 0.099–0.307) and limited risk perception explained up to 50% of variance in risky acts. School bus users showed higher behavioural awareness and safer attitudes (β = 0.439), while two-wheeler, auto-rickshaw, and private/state bus commuters displayed greater risk-taking tendencies. The study concludes that children’s traffic safety is shaped by cognitive, social, and environmental factors rather than knowledge alone. Mode-specific, context-sensitive interventions integrating behavioural education, parental and driver involvement, and structured supervision are essential to bridge the gap between awareness and safe action among young commuters.
creator: Manjunath Ishwar Borakanavar
creator: Akhilmith V
creator: Hoai Nguyen Pham
creator: Yogeshwar V Navandar
creator: K Krishnamurthy
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Manjunath Ishwar Borakanavar, Akhilmith V, Hoai Nguyen Pham, Yogeshwar V Navandar, K Krishnamurthy https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-11-25
publication date: 2025-11-25
volume: 9
starting page: e000109
ending page: e000109
doi: 10.55329/ixuu3946

How accurate do car driver report their travelled speed before an accident: a comparison with insights of the Event Data Recorder
type: item
description: Statements of drivers are often used to gain insights into accident causations, whose understanding is an important factor for the development of effective prevention strategies. The coming into effect of the General Safety Regulation 2019 led to an increasing availability of objective vehicle data in the form of Event Data Recorders (EDR) in Germany as well as the whole European Union. This creates the possibility to examine the accuracy of the driver statements in more detail. Among others, maladjusted vehicle speed is an important crash contributing factor. Therefore, a good understanding about the quality and applicability of the drivers' reported speed can be important. The goal of the present study is to examine the accuracy of speed reports from German drivers in the context of accident research. To this end, the reported speeds and speed violations were evaluated with respect to their consistency with the EDR data. Additionally, it was investigated whether there is a relationship between the accuracy of the statements and the role in causing the accident on the one hand and the time elapsed between the accident and the report of the driven speed on the other hand. Based on data from the Audi Accident Research Unit (AARU), this study compares drivers' self-reported speeds prior to an accident obtained by standardized telephone interviews with the respective recorded EDR speeds of the crash vehicles. It was shown that driver reported speed violations significantly less often and to a smaller extent than they were committed based on the EDR data. The reported speeds were significantly lower than the recorded speeds from the EDR data. Furthermore, this effect was significantly stronger for the other accident participants, which tended to underestimate their speed more than the accident causers. This result might be explained by a certain group of other accident participants which were driving very fast (> 200 km/h) on the motorway, as is elaborated in detail in …
creator: Karen Tschech
creator: Thomas Schenk
creator: Daniel Popp
creator: Volker Alt
creator: Stefanie Weber
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Karen Tschech, Thomas Schenk, Daniel Popp, Volker Alt, Stefanie Weber https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-12-19
publication date: 2025-12-19
volume: 9
starting page: e000121
ending page: e000121
doi: 10.55329/vtum4072

The importance of infrastructure and road safety culture for pedestrian safety: a comparison of three European and three African countries
type: item
description: Walking is a primary mode of transport in urban Africa, yet it remains unsafe, challenging, and unpleasant. In contrast, several European countries have implemented systematic policies to promote walking through Safe System principles. This study compares pedestrian safety in three African countries (Tanzania, Ghana, Zambia), with three European countries with excellence in road safety and Safe System implementation (Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden). Data includes focus group interviews with African road users and stakeholders (n = 48), fieldwork, and surveys of pedestrians in the African (n = 753) and the European countries (n = 1109). The aims are to examine: (1) pedestrians' perceptions of infrastructure, traffic situation, and traffic safety culture, (2) pedestrians' accident involvement and (3) factors influencing pedestrians' accident involvement. Our results show that pedestrian safety in the studied African countries is not only related to material factors (e.g. safe system infrastructure); it is also related to cultural factors (e.g. societal status of pedestrians, traffic safety culture). We discuss how policy strategies should address both types of factors. Our results indicate that Safe System implementation in the studied African countries is likely to improve pedestrian safety. However, working with infrastructure is not sufficient; cultural factors, including the sociocultural position of pedestrians, must also be addressed. We also discuss how infrastructure, traffic situation and traffic safety culture are related to larger framework conditions, like urban planning, public transport systems, and economy.
creator: Tor-Olav Nævestad
creator: Sonja Forward
creator: Enoch F. Sam
creator: Jaqueline Masaki
creator: Daniel Mwamba
creator: Thomas Miyoba
creator: Filbert Francis
creator: Anthony Fiangor
creator: Jenny Blom
creator: Ingeborg Storesund Hesjevoll
creator: Aliaksei Laureshyn
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Tor-Olav Nævestad, Sonja Forward, Enoch F. Sam, Jaqueline Masaki, Daniel Mwamba, Thomas Miyoba, Filbert Francis, Anthony Fiangor, Jenny Blom, Ingeborg Storesund Hesjevoll, Aliaksei Laureshyn https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-12-08
publication date: 2025-12-08
volume: 9
starting page: e000110
ending page: e000110
doi: 10.55329/fqxm8031

TARGET setting for high severity collisions: tolerance-based assessment of risk for generalized event thresholds
type: item
description: Vision Zero represents a road safety approach with aspirations toward eliminating serious and fatal injuries associated with traffic collisions. Given the well-described relationship between speed at impact and injury outcomes, many researchers have used a variety of methodological approaches to develop speed thresholds associated with human injury tolerance levels for serious and fatal injuries. The goal of this study was to present a framework based on state-of-the-art injury risk models using the latest field data and featuring biomechanically-relevant predictors in order to create safe impact speed thresholds. Tolerance-based Assessment of Risk for Generalized Event Thresholds (TARGET) values for safe speeds for several sets of the most commonly observed collision geometries and partners were estimated using previously-developed injury risk models. Consistent with prior literature, an injury tolerance level of 10% risk at the MAIS3+ severity level was evaluated given its association with high severity injury outcomes. Leveraging models built on German collision data for VRUs, the safe impact speed thresholds were 34 kph for pedestrians and 49 kph for cyclists and motorcyclists. Using models built on U.S. collision data for collisions involving passenger vehicles, the thresholds for closing speed were 99 kph for a frontal collision, 73 kph for a near-side collision, and 126 kph for a rear-end collision. The TARGET values established in this study are consistent with those previously developed and can serve as a validation of these previous studies. As an additional demonstrative, we highlighted other factors (increased age and vehicle seating position) that affect serious and fatal injury risk and were associated with decreased safe impact speed thresholds. This study used a data-driven approach, injury risk models with additional biomechanically-relevant predictors, and the most modern collision data to provide a more precise approach to quantify generalized spe…
creator: Eamon T. Campolettano
creator: John M. Scanlon
creator: Timothy L. McMurry
creator: Kristofer D. Kusano
creator: Trent Victor
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Eamon T. Campolettano, John M. Scanlon, Timothy L. McMurry, Kristofer D. Kusano, Trent Victor https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-07-03
publication date: 2025-07-03
volume: 9
starting page: e000098
ending page: e000098
doi: 10.55329/wxoa2712

Road safety culture and the Safe System: comparing beliefs and behaviours in African and European countries
type: item
description: The study compares national road safety culture (RSC) in three European countries—Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands—which are widely recognized as leaders in Safe System implementation and have maintained the world's best road safety records for several years, with three African countries with poorer road safety records—Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia. The primary focus is on continental-level comparisons, to identify the elements of RSC where we see the biggest differences between the African and the European countries. The study is based on survey data collected from car drivers and pedestrians (n = 3772), interviews (n = 46) and fieldwork. The study is explorative, as it examines four different RSC elements. This is important, as there are few other studies comparing RSC across African and European countries, including several transport modes. The elements of RSC where we see the biggest differences between the African and the European countries are: (a) fatalistic beliefs about road safety and (b) the social valuation of walking as a mode of transport, compared with motorized transport. The fatalistic beliefs are related to road safety violations, which in turn are related to accident involvement. Thus, influencing fatalistic beliefs regarding road safety, and increasing the cultural valuation of walking and pedestrians are likely to improve road safety in the African countries. Finally, interviewees in the African countries pointed to corruption as a potential factor impeding the efficiency of enforcement. We have not measured this, but future studies of RSC should also include beliefs and practices related to corruption, as these are likely to be related to the level of road violations.
creator: Tor-Olav Nævestad
creator: Sonja Forward
creator: Enoch F. Sam
creator: Jaqueline Masaki
creator: Daniel Mwamba
creator: Thomas Miyoba
creator: Filbert Francis
creator: Anthony Fiangor
creator: Jenny Blom
creator: Ingeborg Storesund Hesjevoll
creator: Aliaksei Laureshyn
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Tor-Olav Nævestad, Sonja Forward, Enoch F. Sam, Jaqueline Masaki, Daniel Mwamba, Thomas Miyoba, Filbert Francis, Anthony Fiangor, Jenny Blom, Ingeborg Storesund Hesjevoll, Aliaksei Laureshyn https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-03
publication date: 2025-10-03
volume: 9
starting page: e000111
ending page: e000111
doi: 10.55329/bbmj5348

Extreme value analysis for safety benefit estimation of adaptive cruise control (ACC)
type: item
description: As new automated features enter the automotive market, we need methods to assess their safety in a rapid, proactive, and iterative way. The traditional way of relying on crash statistics does not meet these needs. An alternative is to use extrapolation techniques designed to deal with rare events, such as extreme value theory (EVT). In this paper, we applied EVT to estimate the risk of collision with and without adaptive cruise control (ACC) during steady-state car following. We defined a Bayesian regression model to estimate the parameters of the Weibull distribution for block maxima (BM) of the brake threat number (BTN). We used a small, open-access dataset collected during a platooning experiment on a test track, with and without ACC. We found that it is extremely unlikely that the use of ACC will result in a rear-end crash under normal car-following circumstances, a finding consistent with the general expectation that ACC is safer than manual driving. However, we found that the relative risk of ACC was actually higher than the human control baseline. The reason is that the baseline represents a cautious driving style which may not be typical of the driving style in real traffic. Nonetheless, EVT can measure the expected safety benefit of a vehicle system even without a large dataset. The BTN was an appropriate safety metric to compare automated and manual driving modes, as it accounts for specific brake behavior and performance.
creator: Alberto Morando
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Alberto Morando https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-07-28
publication date: 2025-07-28
volume: 9
starting page: e000096
ending page: e000096
doi: 10.55329/byml9675

Predicting injury severity in vehicle-to-pedestrian collisions: evidence from Madhya Pradesh state, India
type: item
description: The present research examines characteristics of vehicle-to-pedestrian collisions and assesses the factors affecting such crashes in Madhya Pradesh using accident record data from Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation and Accident Response System, encompassing 6104 accident entries across 16 variables. To address data heterogeneity, Latent Class Clustering was employed, and a Random Forest Algorithm was used for predictive modelling to accurately classify injury severity based on various predictors. The latent clustering identified three distinct classes: Class 1 (27.7%) associated with fewer severe injuries, attributed to effective traffic controls; Class 2 (8.7%), characterized by reduced injury rates, linked to well-organized traffic systems; and Class 3 (63.5%), which showed a higher incidence of severe injuries, primarily due to narrow, poorly designed, or infrastructure-deficient roads and excessive speeding. The Random Forest Classifier effectively used predictors such as age, gender, violation type, traffic control, and vehicle type, achieving 97.2% precision and 89.2% recall, and an overall accuracy of 88.8%. The Decision Tree model further highlighted the relative importance of each variable in predicting injury severity. The model’s performance was benchmarked against baseline classifiers including logistic regression, Support Vector Machine, and Decision Tree, confirming the superior accuracy and robustness of the Random Forest approach. This study emphasizes the need for proactive road safety measures and provides a robust analytical framework for injury severity classification, supporting the development of targeted interventions to improve pedestrian safety in India.
creator: Chinmay Gayan
creator: G. R. Bivina
creator: Yogeshwar V. Navandar
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Chinmay Gayan, Bivina G. R., Yogeshwar V. Navandar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-11-27
publication date: 2025-11-27
volume: 9
starting page: e000119
ending page: e000119
doi: 10.55329/xnew4225

Explaining acceptance and acceptability of connected automated vehicles: the impact of evaluations of attributes and traffic complexity
type: item
description: Connected Automated Vehicles (CAVs) may, when available, be able to reduce greenhouse gasses emissions caused by the transport sector, and may increase traffic safety. In order for CAVs to be adopted by the public, they first need to be accepted (i.e., evaluated positively). Therefore, it is critical to identify the predictors of CAVs’ acceptability (general evaluation before experience) and acceptance (willingness to use after experience). We examined to what extent evaluations of different attributes of CAVs are related to acceptability and acceptance, and to what extent acceptability and acceptance are related. Specifically, we hypothesised that more positive evaluations of safety, trustworthiness, instrumental, and hedonic attributes would be related to higher acceptability before experiencing a CAV, and to acceptance after experiencing a CAV. To be able to assess acceptance, we conducted a driving simulator experiment (N = 46). This enabled participants to experience a CAV in both a low and high traffic complexity scenario, and we could examine to what extent experiencing a CAV influences the evaluation of CAVs. Our results show that experiencing a CAV can enhance perceived safety and trustworthiness of CAVs. Further, both acceptability and acceptance were higher when the CAV was evaluated more positively on the attributes before and after experiencing a CAV, respectively. Safety attributes were more strongly related to acceptability than acceptance, while hedonic and instrumental attributes were more strongly related to acceptance than acceptability. In contrast to our expectations, traffic complexity did not affect acceptance, perceived safety, or trustworthiness of CAVs after the simulated drive. These results suggest that policies aimed at enhancing safety, driving pleasure, trustworthiness of CAVs, and by ensuring that CAVs are able to meet people’s mobility needs could increase both acceptability and acceptance of CAVs.
creator: Jorick M. M. Post
creator: Ayҫa Berfu Ünal
creator: Janet L. Veldstra
creator: Dick de Waard
creator: Linda Steg
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Jorick M. M. Post, Ayҫa Berfu Ünal, Janet L. Veldstra, Dick de Waard, Linda Steg https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-09-12
publication date: 2025-09-12
volume: 9
starting page: e000103
ending page: e000103
doi: 10.55329/hpix8038

Effects of heavy trucks on cyclists during overtaking manoeuvres: a controlled study
type: item
description: Since December 2023, so-called High-Capacity Transport vehicles (up to 34.5 m length) are allowed on parts of the Swedish network of primarily divided roads. Investigations are ongoing under which premises longer HCT vehicles can be allowed on undivided rural roads, where cyclists and other active travellers may be present. On rural roads, overtaking manoeuvres are a frequently occurring encounter between cyclists and motorists. The fear related to dangerous overtakes is a major deterrent to rural cycling, and the aerodynamic load generated especially by large vehicles may pose a danger in that it could affect cyclist stability. To systematically investigate the effects of lateral distance, overtaking vehicle speed and truck length on cyclists stability and perception of discomfort, a controlled study was conducted in a laboratory setting. In a 700 m long tent, 23 experienced road cyclists rode on free rollers while being overtaken by a 16.5 m and a 32.5 m long truck combination at 50 and 80 km/h, with lateral distances of 1 m, 1.5 m and 2 m. Additionally, a reference overtake was run, reflecting a full lane change at reduced speed (16.5 m truck, 50 km/h, 3.5 m). Lateral distance had the largest impact on aerodynamic load and discomfort ratings, followed by speed. The length of the truck only had a minor effect. The cyclists’ lateral position on the rollers was not affected by any of the three factors, but increased slightly from before to during to after the overtaking manoeuvre, regardless of the condition. Based on these findings, a full lane change is recommended when overtaking cyclists. To which extent a speed adaptation is appropriate as compensatory measure needs to be investigated further.
creator: Katja Kircher
creator: Sogol Kharrazi
creator: Lennart Cider
creator: Jesper Sandin
creator: Lena Larsson
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Katja Kircher, Sogol Kharrazi, Lennart Cider, Jesper Sandin, Lena Larsson https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-06-02
publication date: 2025-06-02
volume: 9
starting page: e000093
ending page: e000093
doi: 10.55329/gtaq6532

Traffic offenses, court charges, and repeated citations among teen drivers with traffic violations
type: item
description: Teen drivers with traffic violations are at high-risk for motor vehicle collisions (MVCs), yet this group is understudied. This study described traffic offenses, court charges (or dispositions), and repeated citations among teen drivers cited for traffic offenses, and examined factors associated with repeated citations. Deidentified traffic citation records for teen drivers ages 15–17, between January 2018 and May 2022, were obtained from Ohio's Franklin County Juvenile Traffic Court in the United States. Frequencies for demographics, traffic offenses, court charges, and repeated citations (e.g., citation tickets) were generated and compared using Chi-square tests and linear mixed models. The final sample included 5 364 unique teen drivers (62.2% were male) with 6232 unique traffic citation tickets (13.9% were repeated citations). The most common traffic offense was speeding (28.5%), while the most frequent court charge was being an adjudicated juvenile traffic offender (38.2%). The likelihood of repeated citations increased by 3.61 (95% CI: 2.76–4.73) per additional year of driver’s age. Males (OR = 1.78; 95% CI: 1.43–2.21) and speeding offenses (OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.77–2.96) had higher odds of receiving a repeated citation than their respective counterparts. Males were more likely to be traffic offenders and receive repeated citations compared to females, consistent with established research on sex-related differences in driving behaviors. Speeding, a known risk factor for MVC-related fatalities, was associated with greater odds of repeated citations. Understanding the characteristics of traffic violations is crucial for developing targeted interventions, especially for males and speeding offenders, to promote safe driving and mitigate MVC risk.
creator: Priyanka Sridharan
creator: Rebecca J. McAdams
creator: Saroj Bista
creator: Dominique Rose
creator: Corinne Peek-Asa
creator: Jingzhen Yang
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Priyanka Sridharan, Rebecca J. McAdams, Saroj Bista, Dominique Rose, Corinne Peek-Asa, Jingzhen Yang https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-10
publication date: 2025-10-10
volume: 9
starting page: e000112
ending page: e000112
doi: 10.55329/jwot3323

Winter slip-and-fall accidents in Finland: characteristics and views on their prevention
type: item
description: Outdoor falls, such as winter slip-and-fall accidents, represent a substantial pedestrian safety issue in countries with cold and snowy winters like Finland. Such falls are typically not considered traffic accidents nor are they included in traffic safety policy objectives or accident statistics. This survey study aimed to explore experiences of winter slip-and-fall accidents in Finland, estimate their frequency and investigate views regarding their prevention to inform efforts aiming to increase the role of walking. Data was collected with an online survey directed to Finnish residents (n=1,215), which queried the characteristics of slip-and-falls occurring during the winter of 2020–2021, their consequences, and views regarding their prevention. The results suggest that slip-and-falls occur often in Finland, with just over one third of respondents having experienced at least one. Slip-and-falls frequently occurred on yards or pavements and in icy or snowy conditions, and frequently reported contributing factors include unexpected slippery spots on the walking surface, poor winter maintenance and poor footwear traction. Respondents considered improved winter maintenance and using appropriate footwear, such as anti-slip devices, as important ways to prevent falls. The results suggest that the walking during winter in Finland is not safe, and a combination of personal and public measures could result in the most effective strategy to prevent slip-and-falls. The omission of slip-and-fall accidents from traffic safety policy arguably results in a misleading image of pedestrian safety. The results of this study support the inclusion of pedestrian falls as pedestrian single accidents.
creator: Johannes Mesimäki
creator: Fanny Malin
creator: Merja Penttinen
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Johannes Mesimäki, Fanny Malin, Merja Penttinen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-05-30
publication date: 2025-05-30
volume: 9
starting page: e000092
ending page: e000092
doi: 10.55329/wtgp9098

Built environment characteristics and driving speed in 30 km/h zones: a Dutch national analysis
type: item
description: Road authorities are systematically expanding 30 km/h zones to enhance safety. This requires understanding how built environment characteristics are associated with driving speeds, but only a few studies, typically based on small samples, focus on 30 km/h streets. Using a spatial error model, this study examines the relationship between built environment factors and 85th percentile speeds on 47,000 km of Dutch 30 km/h streets (N=159.000). Driving speed and traffic volume data were estimated using floating car data, while built environment characteristics were collected from public sources. The results show that higher driving speeds are associated with greater traffic volumes, longer street lengths, closed pavement, separated bicycle tracks, visually marked bicycle lanes, and longer road sections. Features linked to lower driving speeds include curves, speed humps, raised intersections, exit constructions at zone entrances, narrower carriageways, roadside parking, nearby premises, and higher address densities. Furthermore, the identified interaction effects show that measures like speed humps and raised intersections have greater impacts in high-speed environments (i.e. long and busy streets with closed pavement) but limited effects in low-speed settings. These findings emphasize the need to consider combinations of road design elements and their context-dependent effects to understand driving speed on 30 km/h streets. Out study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of speed-reduction measures, offering guidance for interventions targeting streets with excessive speeds.
creator: Paul Schepers
creator: Werner van Loo
creator: Wouter Mieras
creator: Hans Drolenga
creator: Dick de Waard
creator: Marco Helbich
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Paul Schepers, Werner van Loo, Wouter Mieras, Hans Drolenga, Dick de Waard, Marco Helbich https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-25
publication date: 2025-03-25
volume: 9
starting page: e000091
ending page: e000091
doi: 10.55329/dlam1892

Long combination vehicles overtaking cyclists: a field study in regular traffic
type: item
description: Increased cycling, also in rural areas, is important for transitioning to a more sustainable transport system. Also, long combination vehicles (LCVs), in Sweden labelled high-capacity transport (HCT; up to 34.5 m, the previous limit was 25.25 m) can contribute to this goal. If granted access to a larger share of the road network, those trucks can be used more effectively. However, cycling and other active transport on those roads may be negatively impacted. To investigate direct and indirect effects on cyclists when LCVs are using the same road, a study was conducted in real traffic. Nineteen experienced road cyclists rode on a 5 km long rural road segment. Three trucks of different lengths were driven along the same route, instructed to overtake the cyclists where possible and with a full lane change. This generated 175 overtakes by the trucks and 607 overtakes by other traffic. The cyclists reported the overtakes with the trucks to feel safe and found the length of the truck not to be relevant if a full lane change was made while overtaking. The trucks needed more time to overtake than other traffic, and they also waited longer for an overtaking opportunity. In a car-following situation, the clearance of the following vehicles was influenced by the lead vehicle, making it especially important for heavy vehicles to give cyclists a wide berth. Pending further investigations, the conclusion is that for cyclists to feel safe, a full lane change when overtaking should be standard procedure not only for LCVs, but for motorised traffic in general.
creator: Katja Kircher
creator: Jesper Sandin
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Katja Kircher, Jesper Sandin https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-09-13
publication date: 2025-09-13
volume: 9
starting page: e000105
ending page: e000105
doi: 10.55329/xvqs2323

A hybrid Structural Equation Modeling and Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis framework for using limited samples to relate cycling performance to behavioral traits
type: item
description: The objective of this investigation was to explore a hybrid application of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (FsQCA) to assess the impact of safety-related behavioural traits on the performance of bicyclists using a limited sample of data as a case study. These behavioural characteristics of cyclists are fundamental when specific cyclist groups are targeted for safety countermeasures. The data were collected from individuals who completed a survey and participated in bicycle simulator experiments. Each of the items in the survey aimed to describe how keen the rider is to take risks. The motivation for the study is the recognition that traditional statistical methods have limitations related to the model structure and the type of variables they can analyze, especially where sample sizes are limited. To address these limitations and to estimate complex relationships between variables, SEM can be used to assess the individual effect of each variable on the response variable(s). In the real-world context, however, a combination of variables can affect response variables. To address this issue, this study used the hybrid SEM-FsQCA approach, in which SEM was applied as the first step in analyzing the latent behavioural variables. Then, using the outputs of the previous step, FsQCA was applied to assess the effect of combinations of variables on the performance of cyclists. Based on SEM, none of the factors significantly affected performance, likely due to the low sample size. However, when applying FsQCA, it was observed that combinations of factors significantly affect performance. This hybrid approach was seen to be promising for the case study application and, in that context, to have the potential, even with smaller samples, to significantly contribute to a deep understanding of the safety-related behavioral traits, which can be used in designing targeted countermeasures to improve their safety.
creator: Mahsa Jafari
creator: Bhagwant Persaud
creator: Carmelo D'Agostino
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Mahsa Jafari, Bhagwant Persaud, Carmelo D'Agostino https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-06-03
publication date: 2025-06-03
volume: 9
starting page: e000095
ending page: e000095
doi: 10.55329/qjgq4392

Data-driven high friction surface treatment applications for roadway safety
type: item
description: The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) has been utilizing a data-driven high friction surface treatment (HFST) program as a proven safety countermeasure for wet weather and roadway departure crashes. This report will walk through the origins of the study and the process to identify candidate locations for HFST and development of a pavement friction program. The project has constructed over forty sites in 2023, including a mixture of rural corridor curves, signalized intersection approaches, and limited access freeway ramps. The project utilized a mixture of pavement friction data, pavement resurfacing lists, and specific crash data. The sites are being reviewed to show the benefits through a before and after crash analysis and pavement condition over time based on traffic volumes, weather, and other factors.
creator: Austin Obenauf
creator: Mike Vaughn
creator: Ryland Potter
creator: Isaac Briskin
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Austin Obenauf, Mike Vaughn, Ryland Potter, Isaac Briskin https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-01-07
publication date: 2025-01-07
volume: 9
starting page: e000082
ending page: e000082
doi: 10.55329/pyos8802

Come together: an exploration on social driving behaviour of automated vehicles
type: item
description: Interaction between road users is a fundamental part of the traffic system. The advent of automated vehicles (AVs) has given rise to requirements for interactions between AVs and other road users, expressed in high-level terms like ‘demonstrate anticipatory behaviour’, ‘not confusing other road users’, and ‘being predictable and manageable for other road users’. Operationalizing these social driving behaviours requires social science knowledge on human interaction. However, translating social driving behaviour requirements unambiguously to the engineering domain necessitates that social scientists have a rudimentary understanding of the language of engineers (and vice versa). The present study seeks to accommodate interdisciplinary collaboration between social scientists and engineers by providing insight into current AV technological capabilities with regards to social driving behaviour and road safety, and their development in the near future. To this end, an exploratory interview study was performed with 7 engineers with backgrounds in industry, academia, research institutes, and/or vehicle authorities. The engineers provided several real-world examples of implications of AV algorithms on social driving behaviour. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts resulted in clusters of themes relating to the product development process: requirements (i.e., societal, legal, customers), development (i.e., process, implementation), and evaluation (i.e., assessment, monitoring). Choices made in each of these phases appear to influence the final behaviour of automated vehicles in traffic. Knowledge on social driving behaviour and its impact on traffic safety can guide these choices to ensure safe operation of AVs within the social environment of traffic.
creator: Diane Cleij
creator: Rins de Zwart
creator: Reinier J. Jansen
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Diane Cleij, Rins de Zwart, Reinier J. Jansen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-25
publication date: 2025-03-25
volume: 9
starting page: e000088
ending page: e000088
doi: 10.55329/wgem5787

Evaluating urban intersections: a comparative study of roundabouts versus protected U-turns—which is better?
type: item
description: Effective urban traffic management is a significant challenge in rapidly urbanizing areas with increased vehicular usage, impacting both congestion and safety. Busy cities, like many urban centers, face these issues. Roundabouts, known for their ability to reduce severe crashes, represent a traditional approach to intersection design. However, in high-traffic conditions, roundabouts can become less efficient, leading to increased congestion. Alternatively, protected U-turns, which are a relatively modern approach, are designed to handle high traffic volumes more effectively. They potentially reduce waiting times and improve overall traffic flow but may pose different safety and longitudinal challenges. This study aims to explore these complexities by analyzing the effectiveness of roundabouts and protected U-turns in the context of the unique urban landscape of the Hail City in Saudi Arabia. PTV VISSIM was used for dynamic traffic simulation, providing a realistic representation of traffic patterns in Hail City. Parameters such as vehicle queuing lengths, wait times, and overall intersection capacity are comprehensively evaluated. The simulation settings are adjusted to reflect different traffic densities and patterns, thus ensuring a thorough understanding of the performance of each intersection type under varied conditions. Additionally, various statistical analysis techniques were used to better understand the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Results showed scenarios of high traffic volume, roundabouts led to longer vehicle queues and increased wait times. On the other hand, protected U-turns exhibited a notable capability to manage high-volume traffic, effectively reducing congestion and improving intersection throughput. This research may contribute to urban traffic management literature, offering insightful guidelines for future intersection design and traffic flow optimization in rapidly urbanizing cities.
creator: Nawaf Alnawmasi
creator: Hisham Jashami
creator: Qiuqi Cai
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Nawaf Alnawmasi, Hisham Jashami, Qiuqi Cai https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-01-11
publication date: 2025-01-11
volume: 9
starting page: e000081
ending page: e000081
doi: 10.55329/jbwz1736

Bridging the gap: understanding the factors affecting pedestrian safety perceptions in the age of driverless vehicles
type: item
description: he advent of autonomous technologies necessitates a deeper understanding of pedestrian behavior and safety in environments where pedestrians need to interact with driverless vehicles (DV). Our study explores how pedestrians perceive and react to DVs compared with Human-Driven Vehicles (HDV), focusing on objective measures such as gap acceptance (GA) and psychophysiological indicators like Electro-dermal Activity (EDA). Structured in three phases, the study comprises a preliminary questionnaire to gauge public perception, followed by immersive virtual reality (VR) simulations that mimic real-world traffic scenarios within a VR environment, and concludes with a post-experiment survey. The simulation experiment was designed to analyze pedestrian responses to varying traffic scenarios developed using DVs and HDVs, measuring EDA to assess emotional and stress responses leading to changes in the gap acceptance behavior. The study employed hypothesis testing to assess DV's impact on pedestrians' psychophysiological reactions that can lead to changes in pedestrian behavior. This study also explored the effect of education level and perception of pedestrians towards automation technology that may influence outcomes. The analysis of EDA showed higher stress levels in scenarios involving DVs measured using the Galvanic Skin Response component. This result heightened stress response may be attributed to the unpredictability and novelty of DVs. The analysis with gap acceptance (GA) time revealed significant differences in GA times across traffic scenarios. Pedestrians exhibited longer GA times with DVs than HDVs, suggesting cautious crossing behavior. Our results underscore the impact of traffic scenarios on pedestrian behavior and stress levels, highlighting the influence of driverless technology on pedestrian dynamics.
creator: Saki Rezwana
creator: Mohammad Razaur Rahman Shaon
creator: Nicholas Lownes
creator: Eric Jackson
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Saki Rezwana, Mohammad Razaur Rahman Shaon, Nicholas Lownes, Eric Jackson https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-01-01
publication date: 2025-01-01
volume: 9
starting page: e000080
ending page: e000080
doi: 10.55329/pjax7195

Modeling the effects of drive error and impairment on crash injury severity
type: item
description: Under the safe system approach, drivers will inevitably make mistakes and errors that can contribute to crashes. Driver errors are widely cited as one of the critical reasons for crash occurrence in safety literature. Despite universal acceptance, the discussion of their effects on crash injury outcomes is limited. The primary objective of this study is to quantify the effects of driver errors in the crash injury severity model at urban intersections. To obtain research objectives, driver errors were categorized as sequential events in a driving task. Combinations of driver error categories were created and ranked based on their odds-ratios with injury severity levels. Furthermore, driver impairment was considered in combination with the driver error categories to explore the compounding effects on crash consequences. Multiple ordered logit models were estimated to quantify the effect of driver errors and their interactions with driver impairment on the crash injury levels at uncontrolled, sign-controlled, and signal-controlled intersections. Improved model performance was observed when driver error combinations were modeled along with traditional crash variables. The exploration of multiple model formulations indicated that including driver impairment as an error category can yield informative inferences from both theoretical and modeling perspectives. Appropriate countermeasures were recommended for major contributing factors to improve intersection safety based on modeling results. It is expected that this study can offer specific insights into explanatory variables and help safety professionals to develop effective countermeasures.
creator: Mohammad Razaur Rahman Shaon
creator: Xiao Qin
creator: Eric Jackson
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Mohammad Razaur Rahman Shaon, Xiao Qin, Eric Jackson https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-01-09
publication date: 2025-01-09
volume: 9
starting page: e000079
ending page: e000079
doi: 10.55329/obon4340

Evaluation of the human interaction with automated vehicles on highways
type: item
description: Human-driven vehicles (HVs) will be interacting with automated vehicles (AVs) at AV market penetrations between 0% and 100%. However, little is known about how HVs interact with AVs. This study addresses knowledge gaps related to how HVs will interact with AVs on highways. The research was conducted in Oregon State University's Passenger Car Driving Simulator. Additionally, a Shimmer3 GSR+ sensor was used to measure participants' galvanic skin response (GSR). Two independent variables (i.e. leading vehicle speed and autonomy) were selected and resulted in a 2x2 factorial design. Participants were also exposed to two hard-braking scenarios: one with a leading HV and one with a leading AV. A post-drive survey included questions about the participant's level of comfort following HVs and AVs. The driving simulator experiment was successfully completed by 36 participants. Results from the linear mixed model show that driver level of stress was 70% higher in hard-brake scenarios involving HVs versus AVs. Of the 78 hard-braking scenarios tested in this study, 10 crashes were observed (4 with an HV, 6 with an AV). Half of the participants involved in a crash with an HV perceived the leading vehicle to be at fault, while all the participants who crashed with an AV blamed themselves for the error. Additionally, drivers over the age of 34.5 were found to give AVs 2% larger headways than HVs, while younger drivers gave AVs 18% smaller headways than HVs. Zero participants above the age of 34.5 years self-reported being ‘unconcerned’ when following an AV in the post-drive survey, while 38% of participants under the age of 34.5 did. This study supports the need for a better understanding of how human drivers will interact with AVs to calibrate human driver models when AV market penetrations are between 0% and 100%.
creator: Cadell Chand
creator: Hisham Jashami
creator: Haizhong Wang
creator: David Hurwitz
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Cadell Chand, Hisham Jashami, Haizhong Wang, David Hurwitz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-01-10
publication date: 2025-01-10
volume: 9
starting page: e000078
ending page: e000078
doi: 10.55329/xwwy8052

Applying model-based recursive partitioning to improve pedestrian exposure models to support transportation safety analyses
type: item
description: Pedestrians are among the most vulnerable road users in urban areas, and their safety is a growing concern for transportation planners and engineers. Pedestrians are at disproportionately high risk for injuries or fatalities in crashes with motor vehicles, highlighting the critical need to address their safety. To address the dangers urban pedestrians face, the relationship between pedestrian crashes and their contributing factors must first be understood. One way to do this is to use statistical models relating pedestrian crash frequency with quantifiable contributing factors, such as land use, demographics, and roadway characteristics. Perhaps the most important of these factors is pedestrian exposure, which is often difficult to obtain because pedestrian volumes are not as widely available as vehicle volumes. Since pedestrian volumes are not available across an entire network, they are often estimated using statistical models—for example, negative binomial (NB) regression—rather than being directly observed. These models are typically a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, applying the same model to estimate pedestrian exposure across the entire network. However, relationships between pedestrian exposure and explanatory features—such as population, infrastructure design, and land use context—might differ significantly with respect to the context of an individual location. To address this issue, this paper proposes a model-based recursive partitioning (MBRP) algorithm to develop pedestrian exposure models. The MBRP approach combines traditional statistical methods (e.g. NB regression) with recursive data partitioning techniques commonly found in tree-based machine learning methods. This innovative approach yields a collection of exposure models stratified according to selected input variables with unique relationships between explanatory variables and exposure. The proposed method was tested on pedestrian exposure data from North Carolina significantly improved predictio…
creator: Jakob Wiegand
creator: Vikash Gayah
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Jakob C. Wiegand, Vikash V. Gayah https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-01-17
publication date: 2025-01-17
volume: 9
starting page: e000075
ending page: e000075
doi: 10.55329/aseb7655

Pedestrians' attributions of risk and safety in traffic: case of Türkiye
type: item
description: Pedestrians constitute between 17%–33% of all road traffic deaths depending on the region. For this reason, factors influencing the risky as well as safe behaviours of pedestrians need to be examined. The current study aims to understand risk and safety attributions of this road user group. A total of 254 pedestrians aged between 18 and 68 participated in the study. The participants filled out a demographic information form and Causal Dimension Scale-II (CDSII), which is composed of a qualitative and a quantitative part. CDSII is a self-report measure assessing how individuals evaluate the causes of events in various dimensions. The CDSII was filled out twice by the respondents: once for the riskiest and once for the safest situations experienced as a pedestrian. For 6 out of 9 situations in which pedestrians feel at risk, the most common reason was problematic drivers. Elimination of and decrease in crash risk were the most important reasons for feeling safe in areas separating pedestrians and drivers. The results showed that there is a difference between causal evaluations of risky and safe situations. The findings of this study point out to several points that require attention. One of these is the driver-pedestrian interactions. To overcome this, effective enforcement and well-functioning infrastructural improvements can be suggested.
creator: Gizem Findik
creator: Haluk Oğuz Öngören
creator: Bahar Öz
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Gizem Findik, Haluk Oğuz Öngören, Bahar Öz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-07-17
publication date: 2025-07-17
volume: 9
starting page: e000100
ending page: e000100
doi: 10.55329/xmqd4969

Surrogate safety evaluation of incorrect pedestrian detection at signalized intersections
type: item
description: The design and operations of signalized intersections are critical for the safety and mobility of all road users. Traditionally, video detection systems have surpassed conventional inductive loops in vehicle detection, offering advantages such as user-friendly interfaces, easy installation, versatile applications, and cost-effective maintenance. Recent technological advancements have expanded the capabilities of video detection systems to include automated pedestrian detection. Pedestrian timing treatment at signalized intersections typically involves two approaches: assuming pedestrian demand during each phase (pedestrian recall operations) or activating pedestrian demand when a button is pressed. Automated Pedestrian Video Detection Systems (APVDS) represent a newer approach where pedestrian calls are automatically initiated upon detecting pedestrians within the detection zone. Both pedestrian push buttons and APVDSs have their pros and cons. While push buttons can cause confusion and incorrect usage among pedestrians, APVDSs theoretically address these issues by autonomously determining pedestrian phase needs. However, challenges arise due to differing pedestrian behaviors compared to vehicles, potentially leading to missed or false calls and unsafe pedestrian actions. This study examines the impact of two APVDS issues: missed pedestrian calls and false pedestrian calls. It also compares the effects of incorrect calls under various operational strategies, including APVDS with and without controller pedestrian recycle, pedestrian recall operations, and push-button operations, with and without pedestrian recycle, across different times of the day to replicate varying vehicular and pedestrian demands. Using Vissim microsimulation software and Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM), experiments were conducted to replicate field conditions closely. This microsimulation approach enables the measurement and analysis of missed and false calls' impact on surrogate safet…
creator: Slavica Gavric
creator: Ismet Goksad Erdagi
creator: Aleksandar Stevanovic
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Slavica Gavric, Ismet Goksad Erdagi, Aleksandar Stevanovic https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-12-17
publication date: 2024-12-17
volume: 9
starting page: e000073
ending page: e000073
doi: 10.55329/pase5059

Estimating intersections' near-crash conflicts with the drone-based image-recording data
type: item
description: Recognizing the fact that the information from historical crash data cannot sufficiently reflect the risk level of target intersections under the current driving populations, some traffic safety researchers proposed to use various surrogate measures of safety (SMoS) from either roadside video records or simulation results for estimating near-crash conflicts and performing proactive safety assessment. Along the same line of research but taking advantage of the high-quality drone-based image-recording data (DIRD), this study presents a new effective surrogate variable, named ‘Extra Brake Required to Avoid a Crash’ (EBRAC), which offers a convenient, reliable, and direct tool for traffic professionals to perform the same analyses and risk rankings for resource allocation. The proposed new surrogate variable, featuring its direct relevance to road users’ maneuvers, e.g. braking from high-precision time-varying braking rate information uniquely available from the DIRD, has reflected crash-prone contributors attributed to driving behaviors and intersections’ overall environments. Hence, after proper field calibration, the proposed method based on EBRAC is directly applicable for estimating near-crash conflicts at other intersections in the same region without further adjustment or employing other advanced statistical techniques to integrate the information from multiple safety surrogates. The effectiveness of the proposed method with the new safety surrogate has been evaluated with field data from five intersections and 20 approaches; the results confirm that its performances, evaluated with two popular statistical tests, are either comparable to or better than the two state-of-the-art methods.
creator: Yen-Lin Huang
creator: Yen-Hsiang Chen
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Yen-Lin Huang, Yen-Hsiang Chen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-03
publication date: 2025-03-03
volume: 9
starting page: e000084
ending page: e000084
doi: 10.55329/snjp4746

Assessing the Ghanaian driver's susceptibility to distraction engagement
type: item
description: Driving requires managing multiple tasks in a dynamic environment. Yet, drivers frequently engage in non-driving activities, such as using mobile phones or adjusting in-vehicle technology, which distracts from essential vehicle controls. Evidence shows that such distractions impair performance and increase the risk of crashes and critical incidents. Understanding why drivers become distracted and identifying factors that contribute to distraction is crucial for developing effective interventions. This study examined the forms, instances, and predictors of distraction among Ghanaian drivers to propose actionable solutions. A sample of 257 private and commercial/professional drivers were recruited via personal contacts and social media and at bus terminals. The study examined voluntary and involuntary distractions using the Susceptibility to Driver Distraction Questionnaire (SDDQ) and four driving scenarios. Bivariate correlation and independent samples t-tests were used to assess relationships and differences among driver types, while hierarchical multiple regression identified key predictors of distraction. Results showed a positive correlation between self-reported distraction and voluntary distractions, with a negative correlation for involuntary distractions. Significant differences were found in the likelihood of mobile phone use between driver types in various driving contexts. Additionally, gender, age, past mobile-phone-related crash experiences, driving context (urban or motorway), attitude, injunctive norms, and involuntary distraction were significant predictors of distraction. These findings confirm the utility of the SDDQ in predicting distraction and emphasise the need for context-specific information when studying distraction.
creator: Enoch Frederick Sam
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Enoch F. Sam https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-10-11
publication date: 2025-10-11
volume: 9
starting page: e000097
ending page: e000097
doi: 10.55329/aodw5139

Safety performance functions in a road environment with automated vehicles
type: item
description: The reduction of road fatalities can be achieved by intervening in various aspects, including infrastructure, transportation policy, vehicles, and driver behavior. One of the most promising solutions to solve this issue is to rely on Automated Vehicles (AVs), which can prevent human errors, which account for most crashes. However, the impact of AVs on road safety is still unquantifiable. The reason resides in a lack of observed data, as well as in the uncertainty about AV introduction on roads and their interaction with other vehicles and users. In this paper, a methodology to predict the impact of AVs is proposed, relying on Safety Performance Functions (SPFs). An ad hoc SPF for AVs has been developed just for multivehicle crashes, based on a set of market penetration rates, to propose a mathematical model that can include recent technological innovations in road traffic and be adapted to other contexts. Considering the area of the Province of Bari and three different time horizons, crashes were simulated with the presence of AVs in different traffic scenarios. The proposed scenarios were taken from extensive literature studies about the deployment of AVs. The SPF for the predicted crashes was developed by adding one coefficient that considers the presence of AVs to the baseline equation, controlling for the road geometry. The fitted models show a satisfactory goodness-of-fit, based on different metrics, including CuRe (Cumulative Residuals) plots.
creator: Stefano Coropulis
creator: Nicola Berloco
creator: Paolo Intini
creator: Vittorio Ranieri
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Stefano Coropulis, Nicola Berloco, Paolo Intini, Vittorio Ranieri https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-11-02
publication date: 2025-11-02
volume: 9
starting page: e000107
ending page: e000107
doi: 10.55329/fzyz2882

Assessment of safety orientation in driving skills aligned with performance: a data-triangulation approach
type: item
description: Accurate assessment of Subjective Driving Skills (SDS) is crucial for improving road safety, as direct methods are often biased and do not align well with actual driving performance. This study aimed to develop an unbiased SDS assessment method aligned with driving performance. The specific objectives are (1) reducing bias in SDS assessments, (2) verifying alignment between assessed safety orientation and ground driving performance, and (3) exploring the influence of socio-demographic factors on safety orientation. A combined questionnaire and photographic speed survey were conducted among 389 experienced car drivers in Mangalore, India. Factor analysis, a Double Lane Change (DLC) test conducted on the ground with a test vehicle equipped with Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors, correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were performed. Factor analysis confirmed the two-factor structure: Perceptual-Motor (PM) and safety skills. Further, PM and safety skills scores were calculated using factor loadings, and safety orientation was determined from their difference. DLC results showed that the assessed safety orientation aligned with the ground performance. Correlation and regression analyses showed that male drivers perceived slightly higher PM skills than female drivers. PM skills decreased with age, while safety orientation increased. Academic education had no significant effect on safety skills or safety orientation. While on-road exposure improved PM skills, weekly driving distance reduced safety orientation. Formally trained drivers had slightly higher safety skills and safety orientation than lay-instructed drivers. These findings provide several valuable insights for enhancing road safety. They suggest that safety programs address overconfidence in male drivers, incorporate road safety awareness into educational curriculums, and offer enhanced training for all experienced drivers. Younger drivers may benefit from targeted safety campaigns, while pro…
creator: Arichandran Ramachandran
creator: Mithun Mohan
creator: M. Sreekumar
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 R. Arichandran, Mithun Mohan, M. Sreekumar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-10
publication date: 2025-03-10
volume: 9
starting page: e000086
ending page: e000086
doi: 10.55329/tbpe4602

Mixed logit model and classification tree to investigate cyclists crash severity
type: item
description: Growing concerns about emissions, urban traffic congestion, and the promotion of an active lifestyle are inducing more people to choose bike for their daily commute. The increase in bike usage underscores the need for improving the cyclist’s safety. Our study examined the 72 363 cyclist crashes that occurred in Great Britain in the period 2016-2019 with the objective of (1) examining how various factors influence cyclist crash severity, (2) identifying complex interactions among these crash patterns, and (3) proposing countermeasures aimed at solving the identified risk factors. To achieve these goals, a Classification Tree (CT) model was used as an exploratory tool to detect patterns and interactions that may not have been hypothesized a priori and an econometric approach, such as Mixed Logit Model (MLM), was used to quantify global effects and test the interactions identified by the CT and all the explanatory variables within a statistically rigorous framework. Specifically, six interaction variables were identified from the CT terminal nodes with the highest probability of fatal crashes by tracing back their pathways to the root node. These interactions were then included as additional explanatory variables in the MLM to guarantee that all risk factors were tested within a unified statistical framework. Interestingly, all the interactions were statistically significant. Thus, the CT model is explicitly used as a supporting tool to identify potential interactions, while conclusions are extracted from the MLM results. Based on the identified risk factors, a set of targeted safety countermeasures has been proposed to minimize cyclist crash severity and improve overall road safety.
creator: Antonella Scarano
creator: Maria Rella Riccardi
creator: Filomena Mauriello
creator: Carmelo D'Agostino
creator: Alfonso Montella
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Antonella Scarano, Maria Rella Riccardi, Filomena Mauriello, Carmelo D'Agostino, Alfonso Montella https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-05-19
publication date: 2025-05-19
volume: 9
starting page: e000094
ending page: e000094
doi: 10.55329/lczl8808

Examining the effects of texting, web surfing, and navigating apps on urban driving behavior and crash risk
type: item
description: This research aims to assess the impact of using texting, web surfing and navigating applications on driving behavior and road safety in urban environments. The study involved collecting driving data from 36 young adult drivers through a driving simulator experiment, supplemented by a survey to gather participant characteristics and driving profiles. The driving experiment included periods of distraction-free driving and intervals when drivers used Facebook (scrolling through the feed), Google Maps (searching for specific locations), and Facebook Messenger (texting). Data analysis utilized linear and binary logistic mixed models to explore the effects of texting and web surfing on speed and its deviation, headway distance and its deviation, and crash risk. Results indicate that using texting, web surfing and navigating applications while driving elevate crash risk by 10% and decrease speed, speed deviation, headway, and headway deviation by 9%, 23%, 6%, and 18%, respectively. These findings underscore the crucial role of specific smartphone applications in shaping driving behavior and emphasize the need for targeted interventions to mitigate the associated risks in urban driving scenarios.
creator: Maria G. Oikonomou
creator: Foteini Orfanou
creator: Marios Sekadakis
creator: Dimosthenis Pavlou
creator: George Yannis
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Maria G. Oikonomou, Foteini Orfanou, Marios Sekadakis, Dimosthenis Pavlou, George Yannis https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-19
publication date: 2025-03-19
volume: 9
starting page: e000087
ending page: e000087
doi: 10.55329/wiwt2358

Single-vehicle injury crashes on rural roads in Iceland: contribution of unforgiving roadsides to fatal and serious injuries of vehicle occupants
type: item
description: About 50% of the most severe crashes on rural roads in Iceland are run-off-road crashes. Many existing roads were designed before the concept of forgiving roadsides became prevailing in road design in Iceland. This research aimed to find the roadside elements that significantly increase the probability of high severity of single-vehicle injury crashes compared to low severity crashes on rural roads to prioritize safety improvements under limited budgets. In this research, 712 police records on single-vehicle injury crashes on rural state roads in Iceland in 2016–2018 were investigated. Crash data developed from police reports do not typically include information on roadside elements even though such information is often visible in photographs or written in words by police officers in their crash reports. This limits research on roadside elements and unforgiving roadsides. In this study, the original written police reports and crash photographs were reviewed. Based on this, additional data regarding the roadside elements were coded and added to the standard crash data. A binary logit model for the most severe injury in each crash was developed to statistically test the effect of roadside elements on the probability of fatal and serious injury versus low severity. The model results showed that two roadside elements, rocks and steep transverse slopes (e.g. where an access road enters a main road), hit by a vehicle in a run-off-road crash, more than doubled the probability of high severity. Road safety measures where roadside rocks are removed or steep transverse slopes are reduced, thereby making roadsides more smooth and forgiving, can be especially beneficial for safety because road users are unlikely to adapt their behavior to increased safety from such improvements. This is because such improvements are likely not easily noticed by road users; hence they reduce the probability of compensatory behavior such as increased driving speed, which could outweigh the safety…
creator: Audur Thora Arnadottir
creator: Gudmundur F. Ulfarsson
creator: Sungyop Kim
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Audur Th. Arnadottir, Gudmundur F. Ulfarsson, Sungyop Kim https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-01-24
publication date: 2025-01-24
volume: 9
starting page: e000083
ending page: e000083
doi: 10.55329/bkrk9175

Increase road safety or reduce road danger: challenging the mainstream road safety discourse
type: item
description: Correction has been made to the article e000043, vol. 5, 2024, https://doi.org/10.55329/vfer7646 (published on 5 March 2024, updated on 18 March 2024).
creator: Marco te Brömmelstroet
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Marco te Brömmelstroet https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-08-19
publication date: 2024-08-19
volume: 9
starting page: e000060
ending page: e000060
doi: 10.55329/qukq2875

Effects of automatic emergency braking systems to reduce risk of crash and serious injuries among pedestrians and bicyclists
type: item
description: Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) with detection of pedestrians and bicyclists in reducing car-to-pedestrian and car-to-bicyclists collisions and also injury mitigation in these collisions. Methods: The study analyses collision data from the Swedish Traffic Accident Data Acquisition (STRADA) encompassing road traffic accidents reported by the police and by emergency hospitals in Sweden. Crashes occurring between the years 2012 and 2022 and with cars from model years 2012 to 2022 were included in the dataset. Two statistical analyses were performed. To evaluate the crash reduction effect of AEB, odds ratio calculations with an induced exposure approach was conducted where the outcomes of sensitive and non-sensitive crashes were studied. The sensitive crashes were hit pedestrians and bicyclists, respectively. The non-sensitive crash type in both comparisons was struck vehicles in rear-end crashes. The collision reducing effect was analysed for various speed limits, lighting and visibility conditions. To evaluate whether AEB has a reducing effect on injury severity, relative differences in injury outcomes (both proportion of MAIS3+ and risk of permanent impairment, RPMI) of pedestrians and bicyclist was compared for hitting cars with and without AEB. Results: A total of 2 160 pedestrian collisions and 3 374 cyclist collisions were included, and the non-sensitive crashes consisted of 5 738 vehicles. The overall reduction in crash risk was approximately 20% (±10%) for vehicles equipped with AEB with pedestrian and/or bicycle detection. When analysed by lighting conditions, reductions in crash risk of just over 20% were observed in daylight for vehicles with AEB with pedestrian and/or bicycle detection. It appears to be a reduction also in darkness, although the reductions found of approximately 20% were not statistically significant. Reductions were observed for various weather conditions, except for…
creator: Khabat Amin
creator: Anders Kullgren
creator: Claes Tingvall
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Khabat Amin, Anders Kullgren, Claes Tingvall https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-02-21
publication date: 2025-02-21
volume: 9
starting page: e000085
ending page: e000085
doi: 10.55329/nbqj7880

Specific road safety issues in low- and middle income countries (LMICs): an overview and some illustrative examples
type: item
description: This paper gives an overview of the work of PIARC Working Group 3.1.1 ‘Specific road safety issues for LMICs’. The working group performed its activities in the period 2019–2023. We prepared two deliverables: (a) a literature review, and (b) an overview of illustrative examples. The review started from the notion that the road safety problem requires a multi-disciplinary approach. The safe system approach is generally considered as the central concept for this purpose and this starting point is also taken in this study. However new directions are needed to make the safe system concept work in LMICs. The period of the first UN Decade of Action for Road Safety has brought us a series of valuable problem analysis and overview articles prepared by a variety of institutions and institutes. As a PIARC working group we did not repeat this effort, but used it as a starting point to indicate which specific issues do require a boost in LMICs for the coming period up to 2030. We concluded that the following 12 issues deserve special attention. Strategical: (i) Sustainable Development Goals integral approach, (ii) safety culture, (iii) road safety management and leadership, (iv) building road safety expertise and science; Tactical: (v) transportation system as a whole, (vi) city design, architecture, land use, rural planning, (vii) cost effectiveness, (viii) legislation and enforcement; Operational: (ix) speed, (x) sustainable safe roads, (xi) vehicles as a safe system component, (xii) post-crash health care. As a result of our discussions and analyses we also concluded that it is worthwhile and necessary to make a distinction between the issues in terms of levels of approach. Making roads and vehicles safe may be considered as operational safety measures on a component level, whereas city design and transport system issues do represent a more tactical approach. On top of that, organisational and cultural aspects do have a more strategical nature. As in many managerial and plan…
creator: Hans Godthelp
creator: Ahmed Ksentini
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Hans Godthelp, Ahmed Ksentini https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-11-13
publication date: 2024-11-13
volume: 9
starting page: e000068
ending page: e000068
doi: 10.55329/sdtu9515

Capacity building for road safety in LMICs: the need for a sustainable local knowledge and research infrastructure
type: item
description: Road crashes continue to be a major cause of death and serious injury for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). At the global level, 90% of traffic fatalities occur in these countries with a dramatic daily amount of 3 260 road deaths, many of whom are children. The first UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020 was designed to develop a massive movement towards a decrease of these numbers. This resulted in many initiatives to introduce the safe system approach in LMICs, i.e. to implement road safety management, make roads, road users, and vehicles safer, and improve post-crash health care. International organisations together with NGOs and universities prepared road safety guides and manuals, gave courses and webinars, introduced auditing and inspection systems, with the overall intention to build capacity in LMICs. Together these actions contributed to a variety of road safety developments in LMICs but the overall results were still modest. At the third Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Stockholm, 2020, and in the Global Status report by the World Health Organization, 2023, the results of all efforts were presented and evaluated. Many countries made progress through road safety management and better legislation addressing risk factors such as speeding, drinking and driving, failing to use seatbelts, and poor infrastructure design. However, the reduction in road deaths strongly lagged behind the original goals. Continued implementation of programs and development of new approaches are needed to make a breakthrough, and to reach the goals of the 2nd Decade of Action, i.e. a 50% reduction in fatalities by 2030, and the same percentage reduction in injuries. The present position paper argues that despite the enormous amount of road safety information, which has been and is ‘sent’ to LMICs, and despite the quality and robustness of international organisations behind these programs, there is a shortfall in the scale of the knowledge and research in…
creator: Hans Godthelp
creator: Paul Wesemann
creator: Henk Stipdonk
creator: Mark King
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Hans Godthelp, Paul Wesemann, Henk Stipdonk, Mark King https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-09-02
publication date: 2024-09-02
volume: 9
starting page: e000063
ending page: e000063
doi: 10.55329/weks9456

Identification of hazardous road locations using ambulance data
type: item
description: Background: Police underreporting of traffic crashes is a substantial challenge in Denmark, as in many other countries. Alternative data sources are highly warranted for site-specific road traffic safety work. This study aimed to test the potential benefits and drawbacks of a merger of ambulance data, including crash coordinates, and hospital patient data. Methods: We tested a definition of a traffic crash based on a merger of hospital patient data and ambulance data, including prehospital medical records information and ambulance coordinates in Aalborg Municipality in the North Denmark Region of Denmark from 2016 to 2019 and presented a method of identification of hazardous intersections, road sections and local traffic areas. We compared selected police data characteristics for the same area and period. Results: Compared to police data in the same study period, we found 3.2 times as many unique crash sites through the use of combined hospital patient and ambulance data. We showed that as many as 47% of the crash sites found in the ambulance records were located outside the network of major roads, whereas 16% were located at intersections of major roads and 38% on sections of major roads. We found a certain imprecision in the identification of crash locations because some crash coordinates were physical addresses of buildings only close to the crash sites. Furthermore, we noted that the data privacy of patient data is an issue. Conclusions: Ambulance data have clear-cut potential in site-specific road traffic safety work. However, data quality assurance is necessary prior to the application of the data for black spot identification. As such, more precise coordinates are needed, as well as further methodological development and an anonymisation procedure legally approved by the authorities to make data available for traffic safety work operations.
creator: Anne Vingaard Olesen
creator: Tim Alex Lindskou
creator: Rasmus Øhlenschlæger
creator: Torben Anders Kløjgaard
creator: Anders Brogaard Tallaksen
creator: Jens Lauritsen
creator: Erika Frischknecht Christensen
creator: Harry Lahrmann
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Anne Vingaard Olesen, Tim Alex Lindskou, Rasmus Øhlenschlæger, Torben Anders Kløjgaard, Anders Brogaard Tallaksen, Jens Lauritsen, Erika Frischknecht Christensen, Harry Lahrmann https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-03-25
publication date: 2025-03-25
volume: 9
starting page: e000090
ending page: e000090
doi: 10.55329/mmey4122

Potential of heavy goods vehicle countermeasures to reduce the number of fatalities in crashes with vulnerable road users in Sweden
type: item
description: Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) are involved in a large share of all serious and fatal collisions. Among these, about 30% are collisions involving Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential of Heavy Goods Vehicle countermeasures to prevent fatalities with vulnerable road users in Sweden. Both the General Safety Regulation (GSR) and coming Euro NCAP test program were taken into account. Furthermore, elaboration on existing passive HGV safety systems were used to investigate any additive benefit. The Swedish Transport Administration carry out in-depth studies of all road fatalities. All in-depth studies for the period 2015–2020 were analysed retrospectively by a consensus group of three analysts, to assess the effectiveness of 22 active and passive safety systems. For each technology, target populations and boundary conditions were defined in order to facilitate the assessment. In total, 63 fatal crashes were found, compiled of 28 pedestrians, 13 bicyclists and 22 Powered Two Wheelers (PTWs, i.e. motorcyclists and moped riders). Overall, it was found that active and passive safety technologies could prevent up to 59% (37/63) of the included fatalities. For pedestrians, the potential of improved HGV driver vision, both with a surround view system and an improved direct vision, would have the larger potential to save lives. For bicyclists where the turn-right scenario is overrepresented, the implementation of Advanced Emergency Braking in junctions and Blind Spot Information Systems had the highest potential to save lives. For passive safety systems, HGV wheel protection had a potential to save many bicyclists by preventing them from being run over. Crash scenarios involving a PTW are the most challenging to address with HGV safety systems, mostly due to high PTW speed. Nevertheless, wheel protection on the HGV could save the lives of PTW drivers, by preventing them from being overrun. The present study showed that the included …
creator: Tania Dukic Willstrand
creator: Kristian Holmquist
creator: Rikard Fredriksson
creator: Matteo Rizzi
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Tania Dukic Willstrand, Kristian Holmquist, Rikard Fredriksson, Matteo Rizzi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2024-09-22
publication date: 2024-09-22
volume: 9
starting page: e000053
ending page: e000053
doi: 10.55329/dpjc9540