Current projects
Sponsor: Federal Highway Research Institute
Project partner: infas (Institut für angewandte Sozialwissenschaft)
Contact person: M. Sc. Lisa Zwicker, Dr. Dipl.-Psych. Jens Schade
Duration: April 2024 – September 2025
The German Road Traffic Code (Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung, StVO), among other things, lays down rules for behaviour in road traffic in Germany. They are intended to promote road safety and to minimize the potential for conflicts between the various road users. Non-compliance with rules of conduct is one of the main reasons for road accidents. It can be caused by (correct) knowledge of a rule and deliberately breaking it - i.e. violating the rule. On the other hand, non-compliance can be due to a lack of or incorrect knowledge of the rule.
The project "Survey on the level of knowledge regarding the rules of conduct in road traffic" is therefore investigating the population's knowledge of certain traffic and conduct rules. The focus is primarily on those rules that are highly relevant to road safety. The aim is to describe the level of knowledge according to different age groups and groups using different means of transport (e.g. car drivers, motorcyclists, people on foot). To this aim, an online questionnaire and a telephone survey will be designed and conducted by the project partner infas.
Funding body: AXA Stiftung Prävention
Project partners: ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule der Angewandten Wissenschaften – Human Factors Psychology und Technical University of Denmark
Contact: Madlen Ringhand, Juliane Anke
Runtime: Aug. 2023 - May 2025
E-scooters have been part of the transport system for several years, not only in Germany but also in Switzerland. There is a particular risk of crashes for young e-scooter riders and when riding at night.
The project investigates risky riding behavior and associated psychological factors in the decision to use e-scooters in Switzerland using a mixed approach of on-site observation, on-site surveys, and experiments. The project focuses on young riders and, in particular, the use of e-scooters in the dark and when under the influence of alcohol. The results will provide a basis for developing target group-oriented and situation-specific road safety measures for young people using e-scooters.
The Chair of Traffic and Transportation Psychology is participating in the project by designing and conducting an experimental online study. This study aims to investigate which influencing factors are unfavorable and which have a protective effect on young riders' decision to use an e-scooter.
Sponsor: Saxon State Ministry for Science and the Arts (SMWK)
Partners: Chair of Engineering Psychology and Applied Cognitive Research
Contact: Daniel Eisele, Prof. Dr. Tibor Petzoldt
Duration: January 2023 – December 2024
Human observers are able to predict other road users’ behaviour quite rapidly, with a sufficient level of accuracy, and without much deliberation. This project investigates what cues are used for these predications and what their individual (and collective) value is in predicting the behavior. The cues in question can, obviously, be connected to characteristics of the observed road user itself (e.g., trajectory, position, but also, depending on the mode of transport, aspects such as age, vehicle type etc.), but also to the road infrastructure (e.g., road type, traffic signs and signals) and characteristics of the environment in general.
Through a series of lab experiments, the project investigates whether observers’ perceptions and subsequent decisions can be predicted from the status of a few cues and whether all observers rely on the same cues. To answer the proposed research questions, the project makes use of eye tracking as a method.
Project partner: Audi AG
Contact: Prof. Dr. Tibor Petzoldt, M. Sc. Jenny Damme
Duration: Jan. 2023 – Jan. 2026
Many people hope for benefits from automated driving, including safer und smoother traffic. However, these benefits can only come into their full effect if the behaviour of automated vehicles is accepted by the majority of people, consequently developing a willingness to use them.
In order to create acceptance, it is advisable to design the behaviour of automated vehicles in close coordination with the expectations of potential users and interaction partners. Expectations of driving dynamics behaviour from the aspect of comfort (e.g. longitudinal and lateral acceleration) have already been investigated many times. In contrast, the expectations of the system design concerning the behaviour at manoeuvring level (e.g. overtaking and merging manoeuvres) have remained almost unnoticed so far.
Therefore, the project wants to clarify which parameters have an influence on the acceptance of the behaviour of automated vehicles at manoeuvring level (e.g. personality traits and traffic culture). On the one hand, the aim is to identify parameters that should be taken into account when designing the behaviour in general. On the other hand, concrete design recommendations for the behaviour in the context of selected driving manoeuvres and influencing parameters are to be derived.
To this end, a series of investigations will be conducted. Test persons will be presented with different driving manoeuvres using pictures and videos as well as a virtual reality driving simulator and common vehicle. The behaviour and selected parameters will be varied, respectively. They will be asked to evaluate the different behaviours (e.g. in terms of their acceptability and usefulness). In the virtual reality driving simulator and common vehicle the behaviour of the test persons will also be recorded (e.g. takeover and gaze behaviour).
Sponsor: European Union HORIZON 2020
Project Partners: University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (IT), Institute of Communcations and Computer Systems (GR), SystemX - Institut de Recherche Technologique (FR), ISINNOVA (IT) , RELAB (IT) , Arriva Personenvervoer Nederlande (NL), ERTICO (BE), ICOOR (IT), Politecnic University of Turin (IT), City of Trikala (GR), Region Brabant (NL), City of Hamburg (DE), Region West Midlands (UK)
Contact: Juliane Anke, Dr. Madlen Ringhand
Duration: Sept. 2022 – Aug. 2025
SINFONICA aims to develop functional, efficient, and innovative strategies, methods and tools to engage CCAM users, providers and other stakeholders (i.e. citizens, including vulnerable users, transport operators, public administrations, service providers, researchers, vehicle and technology suppliers) to collect, understand and structure in a manageable and exploitable way their needs, desires, and concerns related to CCAM. SINFONICA will co-create final decision support tools for designers and decision makers to enhance the CCAM seamless and sustainable deployment, to be inclusive and equitable for all citizens.
The Chair of Traffic and Transport Psychology participates in the project with the development of a knowledge base on user needs and requirements, especially of vulnerable groups, such as elderly, women, children or people with disabilities.
The project is funded by the Horizon 2020 Science and Innovation Program of the European Union under grant number 101064988.
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Sponsor: Federal Highway Research Institute
Contact person: Dipl.-Psych. Dipl.-Ing. Christoph Schulze, M. Sc. Lisa Zwicker
Duration: November 2020 – December 2023
Due to its accessibility and reach, the traffic area represents an attractive environment for advertising. Up to now advertisements can mainly be found on buildings or on special facilities at the roadside. Occasionally, vehicles are also used as an advertising medium, which is usually associated with an increased attention and reach. Using display or LED technology can further enhance this advantages by making advertising presented on vehicles more salient and (especially at night) more visible. In the future, technical developments will make it not only possible but also affordable to display (dynamic) advertising on vehicles. On the other hand, questions of environmental protection (e.g. light emissions) and traffic flow and safety arise.
In the project “Advertising on Vehicles” we therefore try to estimate the (negative) effects of digital displays on other road users, especially concerning glare and distraction. Glare can occur if, in absolute terms, the luminance levels are too high or there are strong relative luminance differences, and thus impair the visibility of traffic-relevant signals. By drawing too much attention to the advertisement visual and cognitive resources might be used to an extent which leads to a relevant distraction from the driving task. To estimate the impairment of traffic flow and safety we will conduct driving simulator studies using differently designed and positioned advertisements.
Sponsor: NRVP 2020 / BMDV
Project partner: IVI Dresden (Nora Strauzenberg)
Contact: Dr. Susann Richter, Christina Gögel, M. Sc.
Duration: 10/2020 - 11/2024
Children between the age of 10 to 14 increasingly use their bike as a means of transport. Unfortunately they still show deficits in competencies needed for safe traffic participation (e.g. erratic attention or self-awareness). This is reflected in an increase in the risk of accidents involving bicylces for 10 to 14 year-olds: 49.5% of 10 to 14 year-old children who have had road traffic accidents in 2019, had bicycle accidents (Statistisches Bundesamt, 2020).
There are various programs to improve bicycle safety for children. In contrast to the „Fahrradführerschein“ (bicycle driving license which usually takes place in fourth grade), programs for 10 to 14 year-olds are less standadized and various offers exist. There has been no evaluation on the quality, appropriateness and accuracy of these measures yet.
The aim of the project is therefore to create an evaluation standard for programs that aim to improve cycling safety for 10 to 14 year-olds. To do so, a catalog of criteria will be developed which will help describe and evaluate cycling projects for children in this age group. As an example, 10 existing cycling projects will be evaluated using this catalog.