Risk and threat factors in prior representations of driving situations among powered two-wheeler riders and car drivers

Risk-taking behaviors of e-scooter users: A survey in Paris

Risk-taking behavior is often held responsible for increased crash involvement. We designed and undertook a face-to-face road survey (N = 459) in order to explore incident involvement history, driving attitudes and perceived risk among e-scooter users is Paris, France. Three risk factors were specifically explored: (i) riding after having consumed alcohol, (ii) riding after having consumed drugs, and (iii) using the smartphone while riding. The relationship between these factors and user attributes (such as age and gender) and travel behavior (such as frequency of e-scooter usage and trip duration) was examined using logit and mixed logit specifications and a structural equation model. Empirical evidence suggests that it is more likely for young and male riders to develop risky behaviors. Longer trip durations seem to be associated with risk-taking behaviors.

A Frontal Neuropsychological Profile in Fitness to Drive

Traffic accidents are a global concern due to the elevated mortality rates of both drivers and pedestrians. The World Health Organization declared 2011-2020 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety, endorsing initiatives to reduce traffic-related deaths. Yet, despite these incentives, fatal accidents still occur. Different studies have linked deficits in executive functions to risky driving attitudes and crashes. The present study focuses on demographic, cognitive and personality factors, related to the prefrontal cortex, that are characteristic of drivers prone to risky behavior behind the wheel. The penalty Points System was used to classify drivers as "safe", with no point loss over a two-year period, or "risky", with full point loss during the same interval. A neuropsychological assessment of prefrontal cognitive functions was carried out on each group to identify variables associated with safe and risky behavior. Neuropsychological indexes were obtained from a continuous performance task without cue (Simple Attention), a continuous performance task with cue (Conditioned Attention), the Tower of Hanoi test and the Neurologically-related Changes in Personality Inventory (NECHAPI). A Discriminant Analysis (DA) found that education level, reaction times in Simple and Conditioned Attention, learning errors in the Tower of Hanoi and vulnerability in the personality test, best predicted whether drivers were likely to be in the safe or risky group. Finally, a cross-validation analysis performed on the same sample correctly classified 87.5% of the drivers. These data suggest that prefrontal dysfunction contributes to risky behavior behind the wheel. The inclusion of cognitive programs to identify and train drivers with this propensity could reduce risky driving, and consequently, save lives on the road.

Development and validation of a scale assessing achievement goals in driving

Achievement goals have been a major topic of research for more than 30 years. Achievement goals represent what and why individuals want to achieve. This literature has provided a large body of research in many domains (e.g., education, sports, work), but no study has hitherto been conducted in the driving domain. Moreover, no scale was available to assess achievement goals in driving even though driving is an achievement context. Indeed, drivers' personal competence is engaged and continuously evaluated both by others and the drivers themselves. The present study seeks to fill these gaps. The aims of the study were to emphasize the interest of investigating achievement goals in car driving, to develop and validate a scale named Achievement Goal Questionnaire in Driving (AGQ-D), to compare this baseline model with five alternative models, to assess the gender invariance of the scale, and to study its concurrent validity using interest and self-efficacy in driving, accidents, at-fault accidents, emergency maneuvers, and fines. The results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed the good psychometric properties of the scale completed by 420 French car drivers, in comparison with five alternative models. The scale was also invariant across gender. Finally, the results of the hierarchical regression analyses showed its concurrent validity. The most significant results highlighted that mastery-avoidance goals (i.e., to avoid being a bad driver and avoiding failing in driving task demands) negatively predicted self-reported accidents and at-fault accidents. Performance-approach goals (i.e., to outperform other drivers) also positively predicted self-reported emergency maneuvers. The AGQ-D is now a tool available to develop research in the driving domain and to extend the numerous advances already found in other domains.

A review of powered-two-wheeler behaviour and safety

Powered-two-wheelers (PTWs) constitute a very vulnerable type of road users. The notable increase in their share in traffic and the high risk of severe accident occurrence raise the need for further research. However, current research on PTW safety is not as extensive as for other road users (passenger cars, etc.). Consequently, the objective of this research is to provide a critical review of research on Power-Two-Wheeler behaviour and safety with regard to data collection, methods of analysis and contributory factors, and discuss the needs for further research. Both macroscopic analyses (accident frequency, accident rates and severity) and microscopic analyses (PTW rider behaviour, interaction with other motorised traffic) are examined and discussed in this paper. The research gaps and the needs for future research are identified, discussed and put in a broad framework. When the interactions between behaviour, accident frequency/rates and severity are co-considered and co-investigated with the various contributory factors (riders, other users, road and traffic environment, vehicles), the accident and injury causes as well as the related solutions are better identified.

Exploring schema-driven differences in situation awareness between road users: an on-road study of driver, cyclist and motorcyclist situation awareness

Collisions between different road users make a substantial contribution to road trauma. Although evidence suggests that different road users interpret the same road situations differently, it is not clear how road users' situation awareness differs, nor is it clear which differences might lead to conflicts. This article presents the findings from an on-road study conducted to examine driver, motorcyclist and cyclist situation awareness in different road environments. The findings suggest that, in addition to minor differences in the structure of different road users' situation awareness (i.e. amount of information and how it is integrated), the actual content of situation awareness in terms of road user schemata, the resulting interaction with the world and the information underpinning situation awareness is markedly different. Further examination indicates that the differences are likely to be compatible along arterial roads, shopping strips and at roundabouts, but that they may create conflicts between different road users at intersections. Interventions designed to support compatible situation awareness and behaviour between different road users are discussed.