Investigate moped-car conflicts in China using a naturalistic driving study approach

Yi G Glaser; Feng Guo; Youjia Fang; Bing Deng; Jonathan Hankey

doi:10.1016/j.jsr.2017.10.008

Investigate moped-car conflicts in China using a naturalistic driving study approach

J Safety Res. 2017 Dec:63:171-175. doi: 10.1016/j.jsr.2017.10.008. Epub 2017 Oct 21.

Authors

Yi G Glaser¹, Feng Guo², Youjia Fang³, Bing Deng⁴, Jonathan Hankey³

Affiliations

¹ General Motors Company, Warren, MI 48093, USA. Electronic address: yi.glaser@gm.com.
² Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; Department of Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
³ Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
⁴ General Motors Company, Warren, MI 48093, USA.

PMID: 29203016
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2017.10.008

Abstract

Problem: Mopeds are a popular transportation mode in Europe and Asia. Moped-related traffic accidents account for a large proportion of crash fatalities. To develop moped-related crash countermeasures, it is important to understand the characteristics of moped-related conflicts.

Method: Naturalistic driving study data were collected in Shanghai, China from 36 car drivers. The data included 2,878h and 78,296km driven from 13,149 trips. Moped-car conflicts were identified and examined from the passenger car driver's perspective using kinematic trigger algorithms and manual video reduction.

Results: A total of 119 moped-car conflicts were identified, including 74 high g-force conflicts and 45 low g-force events. These conflicts were classified into 22 on-road configurations where both similarities and differences were found as compared to Western Countries. The majority of the conflicts occurred on secondary main roads and branch roads. Hard braking was the primary response that the car drivers made to these conflicts rather than hard steering.

Discussions: The identified on-road vehicle-moped conflict configurations in Shanghai, China may be attributed to the complicated traffic environment and risky behavior of moped riders. The lower prevalence of hard steering in Shanghai as compared to the United States may be due to the lower speeds at event onsets or less available steering space, e.g., less available shoulder area on Chinese urban roads.

Conclusions: The characteristics of moped-car conflicts may impact the design of active safety countermeasures on passenger cars. The pilot data from Shanghai urban areas suggest that countermeasures developed for China may require some modifications to those developed for the United States and European countries, although this recommendation may not be conclusive given the small sample size of the study. Future studies with large samples may help better understand the characteristics of moped-car conflicts.

Keywords: Conflict configuration; Driver response; Moped; Moped-car conflict; Naturalistic driving study.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Accidents, Traffic*
Adult
Algorithms
Automobile Driving*
Automobiles*
China
Cities
Environment
Environment Design
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Motorcycles*
Risk-Taking
Sample Size
Urban Population