Abstract:
Transportation safety continues to be an important issue that we face daily as it results in enormous losses to human life and to the economy. This research targets safe mobility at intersections in an urban setting by analyzing drivers’ behavior at the stop bar during the red-light phases. The latter analysis focuses on drivers’ psychological and demographic attributes. Drivers are exposed to various scenarios and triggers using a state-of-the-art driving simulator. Three main scenarios are utilized to test drivers’ responses, which include pedestrians crossing the crosswalk, police enforcement personnel and adjacent driver encroaching on the stop bar promoting the imitation behavior. A survey assessing demographics and individual traits such as impulsivity, impatience, mindfulness and driving rituals is used to complement the driving simulator experience for a total of 178 participants. Real life observations and monitoring at intersections are conducted to confirm drivers’ behaviors with respect to stopping at the stop bar in the presence of various triggers. Younger males with a history of at least one severe accident are more likely to be exhibit aggressive behavior such as speeding and committing violations. Participants scoring high on the Attitudes Towards Traffic Safety and Driving Behavior Survey scales are safer drivers who show more concern about traffic laws. High scores on mindfulness and agreeableness (Big Five Personality Inventory) are associated with less violations whereas extraversion and neuroticism are linked with impulsivity and frustration thus leading to higher acceleration rates and speeding. Symptoms of depression reduce a person’s capacity to maintain attention. Thus, it is highly effective to enhance mindfulness and stress management in addition to driving risk-awareness and focus on improving the existing driving education system.
