Safety evaluation of personal mobility vehicles and pedestrians under mixed traffic flow using traffic simulation

Abstract

Personal mobility vehicles (PMVs) are small and slow vehicles that are designed to move within relatively dense pedestrian traffic on sidewalks or shared-use paths. Although various types of PMVs have been developed recently, the requirements of PMV performance in various traffic conditions are yet to be discussed in depth. This study aims to evaluate the impact of geometry and traffic conditions on the safety of mixed traffic flow between pedestrians and standing-type PMVs using a traffic simulation model. As a surrogate safety measure, an objective risk index based on collision probability and collision intensity is proposed. The results of the traffic simulations showed that the objective risk was affected by sidewalk width, traffic demand, and PMV movement parameters. A linear regression model was estimated to explain the safety index as a function of these variables, and combinations of applicable settings for PMV–pedestrian mixed traffic flow in terms of safety are discussed.