TITLE:
Cyclist Warning Systems: Design and Evaluation
AUTHORS:
Sandra Trösterer, Matthias Maurer, Paolo Pretto, Gernot Pucher, Manfred Rosenberger
KEYWORDS:
Cycling, Safety, Wearables, Design, Evaluation, Field Studies
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Transportation Technologies,
Vol.12 No.3,
July
6,
2022
ABSTRACT: Cyclists
belong to the group of vulnerable road users and, thus, need particular
protection in road traffic. One way to enhance cyclists’ safety is to use urban
data (e.g., infrastructure data, accident statistics) to inform cyclists about
potentially dangerous areas, allowing them to better adjust to the situation and elevate their self-protection. However, the
question is how to inform cyclists about such dangerous areas. In this
paper, we present the results of two field studies, investigating two wearables
(headphones vs. smart glasses) and different signal options to inform cyclists
about dangerous areas. Study participants were cycling along a predefined track
and could experience the different wearables and signals. The main aim of the studies
was to find out how cyclists perceive and
experience the different approaches. Participants’ impressions were
captured with questionnaires and interviews. Our results show a clear
preference of the headphones over the smart glasses and signaling with
intermittent audio while being in the dangerous area. However, we also found
that participants’ acceptance of the approach was influenced by the additional
perceived benefit the respective wearable would have in daily life. Using a
wearable solely to be warned, although this would increase safety, was less acceptable. We discuss the implications of these
findings for the design of cyclist warning systems.