Ao Zhou’s research while affiliated with Chongqing Jiaotong University and other places

The scenic byways in Western Sichuan are some of the most popular self-driving tourism destinations in China. However, the current network of scenic byways in the region is not well-coordinated with the level of regional tourism development. This paper, based on travel digital footprints, uses methods such as spatial design network analysis, GIS spatial analysis, social network analysis models, and spatial econometric models to analyze the accessibility and self-driving tourism spatial behavior characteristics in Western Sichuan. The main research results are as follows: (1) the accessibility level of scenic byways in Western Sichuan exhibits significant spatial variation, with the majority of areas demonstrating moderate to poor accessibility; (2) the network structure of self-driving tourism spatial behavior displays characteristics of low overall network density, but with a high clustering coefficient and relatively short average path length, indicating a significant small-world phenomenon. All network node indicators exhibit significant heterogeneity, with the core nodes displaying clear clustering characteristics; (3) the accessibility of scenic byways and self-driving tourism spatial behavior exhibit significant spatial spillover effects. This study analyzes the relationship between the accessibility of scenic byways and self-driving tourism spatial behavior in Western Sichuan, providing valuable insights for the planning and construction of scenic byways and the development of self-driving tour routes.

Mountainous expressways with bridge-tunnel groups are characterized by complex environments and high driving risks, making them crucial sections for highway safety. This study applied eye-tracking techniques to evaluate driving safety and comfort in bridge-tunnel groups. Drivers’ pupil diameter and fixation point distribution were measured in real vehicle tests. The influence of tunnel length, adjacent tunnel spacing, and natural lighting on drivers’ pupil diameters were compared and analyzed. The maximum transient velocity of pupil area was introduced to describe the drivers’ visual load and driving comfort. The results indicate that the driving workload reaches its maximum in the first tunnel in bridge-tunnel groups and is positively correlated with the tunnel length in other sections. Excessive or insufficient distance between adjacent tunnels is detrimental to driving comfort. The driving workload is higher at night compared to during the day. Moreover, the greater tunnel length in bridge-tunnel groups and the larger number of tunnels, suggest a higher driving workload for drivers. Above all, strengthening the design and management of bridge-tunnel groups in mountainous expressways is necessary.