Speaker
Description
The present contribution aims to provide initial insights from the “ARCADE” PRIN project. Adopting a multi-technique approach that combines observational analysis with simulation methods, the project brings together the expertise of three Research Units (RUs – Rome, Turin, and Padua) in the fields of Road Engineering and Psychology. The objective is to identify behavioral, psychological, and geometrical factors contributing to conflict patterns in driver–VRU interactions, focusing on specific hazardous sites within the three RUs’ cities.
The project is dedicated to reducing accident risks for Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs), such as pedestrians and cyclists. Reducing road fatalities among VRUs is a key goal of both European and National Road Safety initiatives, which recognize this population as highly exposed to hazardous driving behaviors and occupying a fragile role within the road transportation system. At each site, risk assessment and the evaluation of effective safety countermeasures are jointly investigated through a cutting-edge, multi-perspective simulative approach that explores the interactions between VRUs and drivers.
Combining evidence from the three RUs, observational analyses have shown that road design and layout significantly influence crash frequency and severity. Notably, dedicated cycle lanes—separated from ordinary traffic lanes—resulted in fewer collisions compared to shared lanes. Overall, findings from driving simulation studies involving increasingly complex road interactions demonstrated that adopting specific geometric configurations as safety countermeasures—together with attention to the individual characteristics and behavioral attitudes of both drivers and VRUs—promotes more functional interactions and enhances protection for the most vulnerable road users.
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