How Do Passing Events Influence the Perception of Risk Among Cyclistsƒ

Abstract

This paper analyses the influence of passing events on the risk perception and behavior (e.g. heart rate, cycling speed etc.) of cyclists through a quasi-natural experiment in urban multimodal signalized transport network. An instrumented bicycle was used by participants in real traffic conditions, recording the passing distance of other road users, the speed and location of the bicycle, the heart rate of the participant and also the self-reported risk level. Additionally, a stereographic camera system was developed and evaluated to test its viability as a method of measuring passing speed and relative distance of vehicles while overtaking cyclists. The factors studied showed that passing events relate to an increased heart rate and reduced cycling speed, but not an increased perceived level of risk. The present study also demonstrated the stereographic camera system is capable of collecting data regarding speed and distance. However, the method used for this experiment requires considerable time and effort to perform the necessary data processing.