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Naturalistic study of the risky situations faced by novice riders
Ergonomics
Abstract
This article sets out to identify the typical risky situations experienced by novice motorcyclists in the real world just after licensing. The procedure consists of a follow-up of six novices during their first two months of riding with their own motorbike instrumented with cameras. The novices completed logbooks on a daily basis in order to identify the risky situations they encountered, and were given face-to-face interviews to identify the context and their shortcomings during the reported events. Data show a large number of road configurations considered as risky by the riders (248 occurrences), especially during the first two weeks. The results revealed that a lack of hazard perception skills contributed to the majority of these incidents. These situations were grouped together to form clusters of typical incident scenarios on the basis of their similarities. The most frequent scenario corresponds to a lane change in dense traffic (15% of all incidents). The discussion shows how this has enhanced our understanding of novice riders’ behaviour and how the findings can improve training and licensing. Lastly, the main methodological limitations of the study and some guidelines for improving future naturalistic riding studies are presented.
Practitioner Summary:
This article aims to identify the risky situations of novice motorcyclists in real roads. Two hundred forty-eight events were recorded and 13 incident scenarios identified. Results revealed that a lack of hazard perception contributed to the majority of these events. The most frequent scenario corresponds to a lane change in dense traffic.
... Another challenge is weaving, creating turbulence, impacting progress, and resulting in low capacity and creating bottlenecks in road systems [96]. The leading cause of death in road traffic accidents [164] is the increased injuries sustained in road crashes [8,12,26,42,66,74,75,118,152,154,[164][165][166][167][168][169][170][171][172]. Previous studies indicated that approximately one-quarter of mortalities from traffic accidents involved motorcycle drivers [33,47,51,159,173,174]. ...
... Another reason is to improve the driving performance of motorcyclists, identify the causes behind motorcycle accidents [50,157], promote road safety [25,38,54,76,94,121,152,154,185,186], reduce motorcycle fatalities [108,159], avoid accidents [51,110], and improve road safety education amongst all motorcyclists [53,99]. Others looked into safety from different perspectives, such as improved traffic system safety [18,187,188] and motorcycle safety [76,78,92,97,119,123,127,162,165,173,179,180,[189][190][191][192]. Moreover, effective hazard detection is critical for hazard elimination and accident consequence reduction [81,118], the identification of possible hazards in their early stages before causing accidents [155], and the reduction in the probability of severe injuries [84,98,139,151]. ...
... Future research attention is drawn towards road safety in motorcycle driver behaviour studies. Examples include the following: finding the effective ways to improve road safety [165], installing motorcycle-friendly roadside barriers to protect from hitting light poles and trees [192], strengthening the traffic laws and regulations along with the traffic safety education by creating awareness of road safety through different public media [25,33,89,190], developing simulation models [3,98,163], protecting the motorcycle driver [25,33,161,164,198] reducing accidents [89,123,187,189,199], avoiding fatal injuries [19,53,100,151] and increasing road safety by predicting the driving performances [51,153,200]. However, some scholars suggested developing limited warning systems to reduce accidents [172]. ...
With the continuous emergence of new technologies and the adaptation of smart systems in transportation, motorcyclist driving behaviour plays an important role in the transition towards intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Studying motorcyclist driving behaviour requires accurate models with accurate and complete datasets for better road safety and traffic management. As accuracy is needed in modelling, motorcyclist driving behaviour analyses can be performed using sensors that collect driving behaviour characteristics during real-time experiments. This review article systematically investigates the literature on motorcyclist driving behaviour to present many findings related to the issues, problems, challenges, and research gaps that have existed over the last 10 years (2011–2021). A number of digital databases (i.e., IEEE Xplore®, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched and explored to collect reliable peer-reviewed articles. Out of the 2214 collected articles, only 174 articles formed the final set of articles used in the analysis of the motorcyclist research area. The filtration process consisted of two stages that were implemented on the collected articles. Inclusion criteria were the core of the first stage of the filtration process keeping articles only if they were a study or review written in English or were articles that mainly incorporated the driving style of motorcyclists. The second phase of the filtration process is based on more rules for article inclusion. The criteria of inclusion for the second phase of filtration examined the deployment of motorcyclist driver behaviour characterisation procedures using a real-time-based data acquisition system (DAS) or a questionnaire. The final number of articles was divided into three main groups: reviews (7/174), experimental studies (41/174), and social studies-based articles (126/174). This taxonomy of the literature was developed to group the literature into articles with similar types of experimental conditions. Recommendation topics are also presented to enable and enhance the pace of the development in this research area. Research gaps are presented by implementing a substantial analysis of the previously proposed methodologies. The analysis mainly identified the gaps in the development of data acquisition systems, model accuracy, and data types incorporated in the proposed models. Finally, research directions towards ITS are provided by exploring key topics necessary in the advancement of this research area.
... This result is in line with the conclusions derived from accident statistics (DEKRA, 2010), but has to be interpreted as data gathered under US traffic and road conditions. Furthermore, a European naturalistic riding investigation was performed with a similar aim, to identify the risky situations experienced by novice motorcycle riders (Aupetit et al., 2016). A possible application of the NRS data was published by Attal et al. (2014), who employed machine learning algorithms to automatically classify the riding situation. ...
... Once the patterns have been defined in a more controlled setup, such rather rare events in a long term NRS do not considerably influence the results, given the large number of observations. It must be stated that these critical incidences may be regarded as disturbances when focusing on typical riding behavior; however, they are significant when investigating hazardous situations (Aupetit et al., 2016). ...
In recent decades, methods to realize naturalistic driving studies have been established to investigate the driver behavior under realistic conditions. Compared to the research on passenger cars, the naturalistic behavior of motorcycle riders is still rather unclear from a scientific point of view. However, understanding this behavior can contribute to the development of accident countermeasures. To this end, naturalistic driving methods can be applied to motorcycling. The objective of this study was to present a methodological approach to conduct a naturalistic riding investigation. The methodological considerations were supported by sample results on the rider profile assessment by using g-g diagrams (combination of longitudinal and lateral accelerations). The focus was on observable and measurable vehicle dynamics as a result of the rider input. A three-step approach was adopted, consisting of a pilot study, controlled main study, and naturalistic riding study. The first phase aimed at defining a measurement setup and investigating the general feasibility of using g-g diagrams for rider profile detection. The second phase involved experimental techniques. A heterogenous rider panel was observed in a quasi-controlled setup to better interpret the variations in data patterns resulting from the individual rider behavior opposed to, e.g., road type. The third phase involved the conduct of the naturalistic riding study. Three rider profiles were identified by considering the combinations of lateral and longitudinal accelerations. As a relevant indicator, the qualitatively assessed shape of the g-g diagrams developed rapidly and remained stable over time.
... To answer these questions, three longitudinal studies have been set up in France's largest cities: Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Our theoretical framework is based on the ergonomic analysis of human activity (Leplat, 2008) and more specifically the analysis of driving activity (Aupetit et al., 2016). Within this framework, we will mainly use the methods of self-confrontation and explicitation interviews of Vermersch (Vermersch, 2019) and Theureau (Theureau, 2010). ...
This work is part of a research project called NewMob, funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) and supervised by Université Paris Cité and Ergocentre.In France, we are witnessing strong growth in the number and type of Personal Light Electric Véhicule (PLEVs), as well as an increase in the number and severity of accidents involving these users. (Osnir, 2023) As a result, there is a general need for more knowledge about the behaviors of the various users of PLEVs and the risk situations they encounter on their journeys. The research question we will develop in this article is therefore as follows: To what extent can taking human factors into account in the risk situations encountered by users of new mobility help to improve their safety in the city?To investigate this question, we have set up three long-term studies in France's three biggest cities: Paris, Lyon and Marseille. These studies are part of the ergonomic analysis of human activity. (Leplat, 2015) Field methods were used to track and analyze the journeys of 150 participants: 65 electric bikes, 60 electric scooters and 25 gyroroues. Over a 2-month period, participants recorded all their daily journeys (video and data), and were able to report any risky situations they encountered during their journeys. For each situation, the participant had to fill in a detailed form, enabling us to analyze a total of around 955 risky situations collected. Two self-confrontation interviews enabled us to analyze the participants' situated experience of risky situations, their ways of dealing with incidents, and the strategies and compromises they implemented during their journeys.Vehicle dynamic data were recorded for a total of 9,124 trips, covering a distance of over 33,000 kilometers. This data include acceleration, speed, braking and lateral variations, enabling us to gather a wealth of statistical data, and to objectively qualify the criteria for identifying a high-risk situation (emergency avoidance, braking force, etc.). A major challenge of this project is to be able to cross-analyze the subjective data collected during interviews with objective vehicle dynamics data, enabling us to establish a complete overview of the different risk situations encountered by users of new urban mobility in France. Initial results are emerging from ongoing data analysis, and we will be able to present in greater detail the cross-profiling of participants across the various study methods (type of vehicle, number of risky situations, severity of situations, average speed of journeys, speeds in risky situations, participants' relationship to risk, etc.). Additionally, we will present the results of analyses on the main types of risky situations encountered by participants, along with comparisons between the different cities analyzed.
... Results revealed that most of the crashes were low-speed ground impact crashes. Aiming at understanding the behavior of novice riders, Aupetit et al. (2016) studied the riding behavior of six novice riders and observed that lack of hazard perception skills was the main reason behind safety critical situations encountered by novice riders. Authors also identified that lane changing in dense traffic was the most frequent (15%) incident scenario. ...
... Furthermore, in an a-depth Chinese crash data study conducted by Wang et al. [45], it was reported that poor visibility is one of the major contributors to road traffic crashes. Also, in a study by Aupetit et al. [46] to identify the risky situations of novice motorcyclists on real roads, 13 incident scenarios were identified among novice motorcyclists, among which loss of control due to wind or a slippery road. ...
Road crash injuries have emerged as a significant public health issue in many low and middle-income countries in recent years. In India, motorized two-wheelers comprise 70% of the vehicle population and are considered the most vulnerable road users. Road crash injury is common among the young-aged population leading to premature deaths. It is essential to understand risky riding behaviors to develop accurate, evidence-based risk reduction programmes that fit the target population’s characteristics and the intervention setting. The current study aims to improve the understanding of the typical characteristics of motorcycle crashes among young riders in India, primarily focusing on the prevalence and role of risky riding behaviors. Five focus group discussions with eight to ten participants in each group (N = 35) were conducted in Manipal, in the Karnataka state of Southwestern India. A thematic analysis was completed using MAXQDA software to identify, analyze, and report on themes within the data. Speeding, riding under the influence of alcohol, and the poor maintenance of motorcycles were indicated as leading causes of crashes. Furthermore, using mobile phones while riding, violations of the traffic rules, and helmet non-use were identified as other risky behaviors among young riders. Future research can be taken up in other settings for the target population. Generational awareness with the involvement of young riders, government authorities, university officials, and the Regional Transport Office can be initiated. Engaging young riders, government authorities, university officials, and the Regional Transport Office through behavioral interventions such as persuasive communication techniques, an active experimental approach (such as the use of a simulator), and regulating the licensing procedure can reduce the number of road crashes.
... In the last 2 decades, there is growing concern over motorcycle riders' safety mainly due to the increased use of powered two wheelers, over 50 cc in urban settings (World Health Organization 2017;Penumaka et al. 2014;Blackman and Haworth 2013;Jamson and Chorlton 2009). There is also increasing interest in improving riders' safety via educational interventions [e.g., training hazard perception skills of novice riders (Aupetit et al. 2013(Aupetit et al. , 2016Crundall et al. 2013;Vidotto et al. 2008Vidotto et al. , 2011Hosking et al. 2010) or novice drivers Scialfa et al. 2012;Wetton et al. 2011;Horswill and McKenna 2004)] and infrastructural ones [e.g., road signs or online monitoring systems for warning riders/drivers of potential events (Cavallo et al. 2015;Rogé et al. 2015;Fisher and Garay-Vega 2012;Walker et al. 2011)]. Currently, such interventions are mainly focused on overt hazards; however, it has been demonstrated that experienced riders/drivers tend to focus on multiple potential sources of hazards in the visual scene prior to the appearance of the hazard (Gugliotta et al. 2017;Ventsislavova et al. 2016;Crundall 2016;Taylor et al. 2013;Underwood et al. 2009a, b for review). ...
A naturalistic field observation study is presented, exploring the experienced riders’ eye fixations on specific traffic objects and their relative semantic content during lane-splitting manoeuvre in urban settings. Six experienced motorcyclists rode their own motorcycles equipped with an eye-tracking system. Data were extracted using manual video annotation and stimulated retrospective think-aloud methods. In total, 54 cases of lane-splitting (i.e., passing between a consecutive set of three moving cars) were analysed in terms of traffic objects and car-body parts fixated upon. Eye-fixation results on traffic objects show that all six riders tended to fixate less on the nearest target cars, allocating more fixations in monitoring the farthest target car and traffic ahead. In addition, all six riders fixated consistently on specific car-body parts of the target cars, namely, on the front body parts of the nearest target car (i.e. wing mirror, front side window, and front wing/tyre) and on the rear body parts of the farthest target car (i.e., rear light, rear quarter pillar, and rear wing/tyre). Riders’ commentaries revealed that the aforementioned fixations were intentionally made in search of (1) assessing the level of drivers’ attentiveness of the neighboring car(s), and (2) anticipating the possible path deviations of the neighboring car(s), for monitoring the upcoming contingencies in the traffic ahead rather than simply monitoring the actual movements of the target cars. Implications for developing specifications of riders’ and drivers’ assistance systems are discussed.
... The interviewer guided cyclists to put their experience into words. This method aimed at collecting verbal description on feelings, sensations, internal states, and thoughts that were experienced by the cyclist for each situation considered (Aupetit, Gallier, Riff, Espié, & Delgehier, 2016;Aupetit et al., 2013;Vermersch, 1994). ...
The increasing number of cyclists, and the introduction of new infrastructure has created new ways for cyclists and other road users to interact, which may impact road safety. Consequently, our aim was to contribute to a better understanding of accidents involving cyclists through an in-depth, pre-accident analysis based on an activity-centred approach. Various pre-accident situations, judged as risky by twenty cyclists, were collected and classified as a function of their relative frequency of occurrence. The analysis found that a third of these situations involved interactions with pedestrians or other obstacles. Then, the most frequent situations are related to: (a) interactions with motorists either entering or leaving a parking space; (b) motorists who stepped in front of a cyclist when turning right; (c) cars entering the road from the right at an intersection, and (d) motorists squeezing cyclists off the road when overtaking. An analysis of situations where cyclists' visibility was impaired found similar results except for situations (c) and (d) where cyclists' visibility was very rarely engaged, and which both appeared to be associated to deliberate motorist behaviours. These findings point out the most frequent pre-accident situations reported by cyclists, and highlight the need for their better integration, as a new type of road user, in urban areas. © Presses Universitaires de France. Tous droits réservés pour tous pays.
Yearly, approximately 1.35 million people die in road collisions worldwide, and 28% of these fatalities are among motorcyclists, comprising both riders and passengers. Tailored post-licensed interventions, defined as educational programs, training sessions, or initiatives that are designed to enhance the safety skills and awareness of individuals who have already obtained their motorcycle licenses, have been proposed as solutions to increase motorcyclist safety. This study aims to summarize the evidence on the effectiveness of post-license interventions for the safety of motorcyclists. Effectiveness is defined as the observed changes in collision statistics, violation rates, riders’ performance, and self-reported attitudes. We conducted a systematic literature review using two databases, PubMed and Scopus, with a focus on post-license interventions among licensed motorcyclists. We excluded helmet-use-related interventions. Out of 1,263 studies reviewed, 11 were selected for inclusion. Results were mixed, with five articles finding that a post-license intervention was effective, five papers reporting mixed results, and one study stating the intervention was ineffective. While some interventions were effective in the short term, their impact diminished over time, suggesting the need for refresher sessions to maintain long-term benefits. As for the methodology, theoretical training sessions focused on safety and riding techniques appear to be more effective, while practical training and public campaigns showed mixed results. Our conclusion is that to positively influence motorcycle road safety, post-license interventions should emphasize safety and adherence to road laws over tailored interventions on skill improvement, prioritize long-term effects, and use on-road data.
There is an increase in motorcycles traffic accidents, while the cause for such accidents has always been associated with aggressive driving behaviors. There has been considerable research attention on how to deal with such driving behavior that causes severe and fatal accidents from the academic perspective; these research works addressed technical, scientific, and social issues. This study systematically searches, reviews, and analyzes the literature associated with motorcycle accidents and driving behaviors. Between the years 2014 and 2021, the next four databases have been searched: ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore. A total of 108 people were picked depending on certain inclusion and exclusion criteria. Approximately 68% (n=79/108) of the researchers looked at the challenges from a social science perspective, whereas 25% (n=26/108) concentrated on experimental research variables. Only 7% (=3/108) explored the development of Apps & systems. Finally, our contribution comprehensively analyses most of the articles by highlighting challenges associated with motorcycle behavior, motivations, and recommendations. In addition, provide potential research gaps in current studies that require further investigation.
Motivation -- This paper presents some theoretical and methodological tools that help to identify and analyze "situations of vulnerability" for drivers.
Research approach -- This study refers to "Course-of-Action Centred Design" that highly considers the situational aspects of activity to improve situations.
Findings -- Examples have been drawn from a field study of the "situations of vulnerability" of novice motorcyclists in real world with a view to improving initial training in France.
Research limitations -- The main limitation of the proposed methodology is the limited number of subjects due to the complexity of the data collection.
Take away message -- The concept of "situation of vulnerability" provides an alternative to the concepts of "vulnerable road user" and "accident situation" which are conventionally used in transport research, and which have limitations for ergonomics research.
Inexperienced drivers are particularly vulnerable to road traffic accidents, and inattention emerges as a factor in these accidents. What do these drivers attend to and how can their observation skills be developed? When drivers scan the road around them, differences are observed as function of driving experience and training, with experienced drivers increasing their visual scanning on roadways of increasing complexity. Trained police drivers showed this effect of increased scanning even more than experienced drivers. This suggests that the driver's understanding of the task develops with experience, such that roads that demand increased monitoring (e.g. interweaving traffic on a multi-lane highway) receive more extensive scanning than roads that are simpler (e.g. light traffic on a straight rural road). Novice drivers do not show this sensitivity to road complexity, suggesting that they fail to attend to potential dangers involving the behaviour of other road users. Encouragingly, a simple training intervention can increase the visual scanning of novices.
AbstrAct From an analysis of teacher activity to the design of a professional training device. The paper presents achievements and a design that illustrates a device for the professional training of teachers, considered as an empirical, changing and scientific construction, closely articulated with an ergonomic analysis of activity. In this article, we begin by characterizing the contribution of concepts of cognitive ergonomics in an analysis of the teacher activity and of the relations of cognitive ergonomics to teacher training. Secondly, we present our methodology for the design of devices which are « indexed on activity ». Its construction is based on a course of action approach targeting professional didactics in an enactive epistemology. Thirdly, we outline our methodology for the artifact design and training device indexed on targeted social practices. To illustrate this, we outline a training situation with the artifact which was used and we present an analysis of the activity of actors who were involved in this new professional training device.
Hazard perception is the ability to read the road and is closely related to involvement in traffic accidents. It consists of both cognitive and behavioral components. Within the cognitive component, visual attention is an important function of driving whereas driving behavior, which represents the behavioral component, can affect the hazard perception of the driver. Motorcycle riders are the most vulnerable types of road user. The primary purpose of this study was to deepen our understanding of the correlation of different subtypes of visual attention and driving violation behaviors and their effect on hazard perception between accident-free and accident-involved motorcycle riders. Sixty-three accident-free and 46 accident-involved motorcycle riders undertook four neuropsychological tests of attention (Digit Vigilance Test, Color Trails Test-1, Color Trails Test-2, and Symbol Digit Modalities Test), filled out the Chinese Motorcycle Rider Driving Violation (CMRDV) Questionnaire, and viewed a road-user-based hazard situation with an eye-tracking system to record the response latencies to potentially dangerous traffic situations. The results showed that both the divided and selective attention of accident-involved motorcycle riders were significantly inferior to those of accident-free motorcycle riders, and that accident-involved riders exhibited significantly higher driving violation behaviors and took longer to identify hazardous situations compared to their accident-free counterparts. However, the results of the regression analysis showed that aggressive driving violation CMRDV score significantly predicted hazard perception and accident involvement of motorcycle riders. Given that all participants were mature and experienced motorcycle riders, the most plausible explanation for the differences between them is their driving style (influenced by an undesirable driving attitude), rather than skill deficits per se. The present study points to the importance of conceptualizing the influence of different driving behaviors so as to enrich our understanding of the role of human factors in road accidents and consequently develop effective countermeasures to prevent traffic accidents involving motorcycles.
This paper reports on a study of naturalistic decision-making in expert badminton players. These decisions are frequently taken under time-pressured conditions, yet normally lead to successful performance. Two male badminton teams participated in this study. Self-confrontation interviews were used to collect data. Inductive data analysis revealed three types of intentions during a rally: to maintain the rally; to take the advantage; and to finish the point. It also revealed eight types of decision taken in this situation: to ensure an action; to observe the opponent's response to an action; to realize a limited choice; to influence the opponent's decision; to put pressure on an opponent; to surprise the opponent; to reproduce an efficient action; and to play wide. A frequent decision was to put pressure on the opponent. Different information and knowledge was linked to specific decisions. The results are discussed in relation to research that has considered naturalistic decision-making.
This volume contains the papers and discussions from a Symposium on :'Hu man Behavior and Traffic Safety" held at the General Motors Research Labora tories on September 23-25, 1984. This Symposium was the twenty-ninth in an annual series sponsored by the Research Laboratories. Initiated in 1957, these symposia have as their objective the promotion of the interchange of knowledge among specialists from many allied disciplines in rapidly developing or chang ing areas of science or technology. Attendees characteristically represent the aca demic, government, and industrial institutions that are noted for their ongoing activities in the particular area of interest. of this Symposium was to focus on the role of human behavior The objective in traffic safety. In this regard, a clear distinction is drawn between, on the one hand, "human behavior," and on the other "human performance." Human per formance at the driving task, or what the driver can do, has been the subject of much research reported in the technical literature. Although clearly of some rel evance, questions of performance do not appear to be central to most traffic crashes. Of much more central importance is human behavior, or what the driver in fact does. This is much more difficult to determine, and is the subject of the Symposium.
Using the fields of mathematics and LOGO programming as examples, this paper documents the claim that recent research on learning and instruction has started to produce a reasonably sound knowledge base for the development of powerful learning environments for the acquisition of problem-solving skills. The components of skilled problem solving are briefly described, and it is shown that current educational practices fail to achieve them in students. It is argued that this failure is largely due to the fact that instruction is not designed in accordance with basic characteristics of effective learning processes. A few major characteristics are then described, focusing on the constructive and contextualised nature of such acquisition processes. A LOGO-study is then reported, in which an attempt was made to design a powerful learning environment. Some critical reflections in the final section point to the need for continued research.
The aim of this study is to evaluate a low-complexity fall detection algorithm, that use both acceleration and angular velocity signals to trigger an alert-system or to inflate an airbag jacket. The proposed fall detection algorithm is a threshold-based algorithm, using data from three-accelerometers and three-gyroscopes sensors mounted on the motorcycle. In the first step, the commonly fall accident configurations were selected and analyzed in order to identify the main causation factors. In the second step, these fall scenarios were replayed by a stuntman using an instrumented motorcycle. Both accelerations and rotational velocities were monitored. These measurements constitute a valuable experimental database to analyze and to understand motorcycle fall mechanism. Based on the analysis of this database, a fall detection algorithm has been developed. This paper presents initial results of a work in progress that aims to provide knowledge about the development of such passive safety systems.
As drivers become more experienced many changes have been observed in their patterns of visual search. Differences between novice and experienced drivers are particularly marked in demanding or hazardous road situations and this has led researchers to speculate that limitations in search patterns may explain some of the accidents where newly qualified drivers are involved. This paper reports a training intervention that informs novice drivers about their typical patterns of visual search and stresses the need for scanning multiple locations in the visual scene for sources of potential danger. Two groups of drivers were evaluated on three occasions over the course of their first year after gaining a full driving licence. The evaluations involved recording drivers' eye movements while driving a route on real roads in traffic, and while watching videos of hazardous situations. One of the groups received the training intervention before the second occasion of testing. The intervention produced notable changes in the drivers' search patterns in both situations though not all changes were still detectable at a final phase of testing three to six months after the intervention had been delivered.
Instrumented vehicles are key tools for in-depth understanding of drivers' behaviours, thus for the design of scientifically based countermeasures to reduce fatalities and injuries. The instrumentation of Powered Two-Wheelers (PTW) has been less widely implemented that for vehicles, in part due to the technical challenges involved. The last decade has seen the development in Europe of several tools and methodologies to study motorcycle riders' behaviours and motorcycle dynamics for a range of situations, including crash events involving falls. Thanks to these tools, a broad-ranging research programme has been conducted, from the design and tuning of real-time falls detection to the study of riding training systems, as well as studies focusing on naturalistic riding situations such as filtering and line splitting. The methodology designed for the in-depth study of riders' behaviours in naturalistic situations can be based upon the combination of several sources of data such as: PTW sensors, context-based video retrieval system, Global Positioning System (GPS) and verbal data on the riders' decisions making process. The goals of this paper are: (1) to present the methodological tools developed and used by INRETS-MSIS (now Ifsttar-TS2/Simu) in the last decade for the study of riders' behaviours in real-world environment as well as on track for situations up to falls, (2) to illustrate the kind of results that can be gained from the conducted studies, (3) to identify the advantages and limitations of the proposed methodology to conduct large scale naturalistic riding studies, and (4) to highlight how the knowledge gained from this approach will fill many of the knowledge gaps about PTW-riders' behaviours and risk factors.
The notion of error, when applied to an activity or the result of an activity, implies the notion of task: it expresses the deviation between the activity and the task being considered from an angle which is judged to be relevant. The task and the activity are the object of representations for the analyst (or specialist) and for the driver. Four representations are dealt with in this paper: the task and the activity for the specialist and the task and the activity for the driver. An interpretation is proposed for these tasks, and they are illustrated using some of the work already carried out in this field. The signification of deviations between these representations is then discussed, together with the advantage of studying these deviations in order to clarify error-producing mechanisms. Analysis in terms of task and activity raises methodological and practical problems which are touched upon; it does not exclude referring to psychological theoretical frameworks to which it is worthwhile linking it. This perspective raises questions which make it possible to enhance the study of errors: it could be completed at a later date by extending it to include other representation categories.
This paper analyses motorcycle educational content in a number of French motorcycle schools on the basis of a naturalistic study of riders' and trainers' behaviour. The aim is to specify the situations delivered in motorcycle schools and to study the rider's activity in these situations. The methodology includes ethnographic observation within the motorcycle schools and the longitudinal monitoring of 14 trainee motorcyclists during their initial training. The training situations were described by the combination of audio-visual recordings and interviews data (i.e. concomitant or interruptive verbalization, and self-confrontation data). The results permit to (1) compare the "real" and "official" durations of track and on-road training, (2) characterize the real training situations, (3) describe the preferred forms of instruction, and (4) conduct an in-depth analysis of the situations used during training in traffic. The discussion show, in first, the poverty of the training situations which are based on the repetition of the exercises in the test, and, in second, disparities between the riding situations encountered during training and the demands made by riding in natural traffic. The usefulness and the applications of this type of approach - based on the integration of the rider's point of view notably by self-confrontation interview - for understanding real riding behaviours and how such approaches could supplement vehicle-based data are discussed in a large conclusion.
The design and implementation of new technologies dedicated to driver support and information management systems is the crucial
transformation that has taken place in the field of automotive environment. While the development of these new systems has
found a variety of sound and effective solutions, a number of fundamental questions and issues remain to be tackled and solved
with respect to the consequences that such new technologies have on driver activity. In particular, a major concern is on
“behavioural adaptation” and on the possible impact that this may play on the driving performance and ultimately on overall
road safety. Within the European Project Adaptive Integrated Driver-vehicle InterfacE (AIDE), a specific research activity
is dedicated (1) to the identification of crucial behavioural adaptation aspects associated with the use of new driver support
systems and (2) of the specification of most relevant parameters that can be implemented in models for supporting design and
safety assessment processes. This paper describes the results of a set of experiments carried out on a number of specific
driving support systems and their results in terms of observed behavioural adaptation. These results will be imbedded in modelling
architecture that enables to predict driver-vehicle-environment interactions in different dynamic conditions. Such model is
also described in some details for what concerns the model characteristics and main parameters.
In a field experiment on moped rider training, young moped riders were tested one week before, two weeks after and eleven months after participation in a practical moped riding training course. As a result of rider training the group trainees performed considerably better at a riding task than the group non-trainees two weeks after the training. However, this performance difference was not present anymore at follow-up testing 11 months later. The group that did not follow the course significantly improved their driving skill. However, the group that had already improved their driving skill with the training, did not improve any further. Those moped riders that improved most from the 16-h training course at the post-test also declined in performance considerably at the long term follow-up. Knowledge that relies of an understanding of how behaviour should change in a dynamic situation was more strongly related to actual riding skill than knowledge that was based on memorising fairly straightforward situation-rule connections. Implications for moped training are discussed.
This study reports an experiment that compared the hazard perception abilities of experienced and novice motorcycle riders using an interactive, closed-loop, simulator. Participants (n = 49) were categorized into four groups: experienced motorcycle riders with full driver licence, inexperienced motorcycle riders with full driver licence, novice motorcycle riders with full driver licence, and novice motorcycle riders with probationary driver licence. The participants were tested on three scenarios, each consisting of eight hazardous events. They were instructed to ride normally, but to respond appropriately to avoid the hazards. Under certain conditions in the simulator, we found that experienced riders (relative to inexperienced or novice riders) crashed less often, received better performance evaluations, and approached hazards at more appropriate speeds. Interestingly, we also found that some novice riders were overconfident in their riding ability. We discuss how this overconfidence might be related to hazard perception.
The current study compares hazard perception (HP) performance of 50 male drivers with and without a motorcycle license in order to generalize results. A video-based HP test, measuring reaction times to traffic scenes, was administered to these two groups of drivers. Participants with a motorcycle license performed better than participants without a motorcycle license. ANOVA indicated that learning improved linearly for participants with a motorcycle license but not for participants without a motorcycle license. No evidence that HP was predicted by age was found. HP scores for drivers who reported previous involvement in an accident were lower than for those who reported not being involved in an accident. The results are discussed in the context of sensitivity and response bias models.
Young drivers are statistically overrepresented in road accidents. Their elevated risk is a complex function of chronological age and driving experience, both of which are associated with acceptance and misperception of risk on the road. A better understanding of the cognitive changes which accompany their transition from novice to experienced driver status should allow us to elucidate the factors underlying their acceptance and misperception of traffic risk. With such an understanding, we would be in a better position to take decisions about improving their safety via training and education schemes rather than via legislative constraints on their exposure to risk. This paper considers evidence that young drivers underestimate certain traffic hazards and overestimate their own driving abilities. The potential contribution of these misperceptions to their faulty decision taking during skills acquisition is discussed in the light of recent findings from relevant research. Some implications for future research and the development of accident countermeasures are indicated.
Sumario: This paper is not so much a synthesis as a reflection on work analysis in French language ergonomics. It is structured around two questions. First, how is francophone analysis positioned in relation to other developments which themselves have attempted to describe work, like anglophone taxonomy?. Second, how has francophone analysis evolved?. The author suggests that the evolution reveals a shift. Gradually, over the years, questions of meaning and analisys have taken on a greater importance. This shift appears clearly, in work analysis and verbalization, two topics which are discussed in the paper
Hazard perception is a critical skill for road users. In this study, an open-loop motorcycle simulator was used to examine the effects of motorcycle riding and car driving experience on hazard perception and visual scanning patterns. Three groups of participants were tested: experienced motorcycle riders who were experienced drivers (EM-ED), inexperienced riders/experienced drivers (IM-ED), and inexperienced riders/inexperienced drivers (IM-ID). Participants were asked to search for hazards in simulated scenarios, and click a response button when a hazard was identified. The results revealed a significant monotonic decrease in hazard response times as experience increased from IM-ID to IM-ED to EM-ED. Compared to the IM-ID group, both the EM-ED and IM-ED groups exhibited more flexible visual scanning patterns that were sensitive to the presence of hazards. These results point to the potential benefit of training hazard perception and visual scanning in motorcycle riders, as has been successfully demonstrated in previous studies with car drivers.
This paper reviews models that emphasize the cognitive components of driving behavior. Studies of individual differences have sought predictors of accident histories. Typically low correlations and reliance on post hoc explanations reflect theoretical deficiencies and problems with the use of accident measures. Motivational models emphasize transient, situation-specific factors rather than stable, individual predictors. However, neither testable hypotheses nor suitable methods have been developed to study situational factors and motives that influence driving. More recent models have incorporated a hierarchical control structure, which assumes concurrent activity at strategic, maneuvering, and operational levels of control. At the same time, automaticity has emerged as a central construct in cognitive psychology. All activities are assumed to combine fast, automatic components with slower, more deliberate, controlled processing. It is argued that identifying the situational factors that increase drivers' uncertainty and thus trigger a shift in attention from automatic to controlled processing will help integrate concepts of automaticity and motivational models. Finally, recent theorizing has suggested that errors associated with the inherent variability of human behavior may be more important to roadway crash causation than systematic errors, which are attributable to the known limits of the human information-processing system. Drivers' abilities to recover from errors may also be important to crash causation. It is concluded that the hierarchical control structure and theories of automaticity and errors provide the potential tools for defining alternative criterion measures, such as safety margins, and developing testable theories of driving behavior and crash causation. Two examples of models that integrate information-processing mechanisms within a motivational framework are described.
Young drivers' accident involvement may be explained by a number of different factors, one of which is that they tend to overestimate their skill in driving a car. This study is based upon the assumption that the degree of overestimation is related to the type of training the driver has received. In an experiment, two different strategies for training have been compared with regard to their influence on estimated and actual driving skill, as well as the drivers' degree of overestimation of their own skill. One of the strategies, used in the "skill" group was to make the learner as skilled as possible in handling a braking and avoidance manoeuvre in a critical situation. The other strategy, used in the "insight" group was to make the driver aware of the fact that his own skill in braking and avoidance in critical situations may be limited and unpredictable. The experiment was carried out at the Bromma driving practice area in Stockholm. Low friction has been simulated by using "Skid Car" equipment. Fifty-three learner drivers were randomly divided into two groups. Each of the groups was taught on the basis of one of the strategies. The training session was 30 minutes long. One week later, the drivers returned to take part in a test of their estimated and actual skill. The "skill" group estimated their skill higher than the "insight" group. No difference was found between the groups regarding their actual skill. The results confirm the main hypothesis that the skill training strategy produces more false overestimation than the insight training strategy.
The concept of prototypical accident scenario has been used since the late 1980s in French road safety research. A prototypical scenario can be defined as a prototype of the accident process corresponding to a series of accidents which are similar in terms of the chain of facts and causal relationships found throughout the various accident stages. This concept provides a means of combining and generalising the knowledge obtained from accident case studies, based on in-depth investigation methods or on detailed analyses of police reports. Applications of this concept are developed in both the field of traffic accident research and safety studies (diagnoses) in preparation for engineering measures or local safety policies. This paper presents the prototypical scenario concept, its theoretical background, and the way it is used for safety research and studies.
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