Compatibility between different road users' situation awareness is critical to safe and efficient interactions between them. This paper presents an exploratory proof of concept on-road study conducted to explore situation awareness across four road user groups: drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians. The aim was to test the assumption that different road users interpret the same road situations differently and to explore the extent to which these interpretations are compatible with one another. Participants from each group negotiated a pre-defined route either on foot (e.g. pedestrians) or using an instrumented car/motorcycle/bicycle. Based on verbal protocols provided en-route, a network analysis procedure was used to describe and analyse participants' situation awareness. This revealed differences both in the content and structure of each road user groups' situation awareness, along with evidence of incompatibilities at intersections. The implications of this are discussed along with potential initiatives for enhancing compatibility between different road users. (Author/publisher)
Abstract