Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Canada; Canadian Technical Centre, General Motors of Canada, Canada.
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Canada.
Accid Anal Prev. 2021 Sep;159:106272. doi: 10.1016/j.aap.2021.106272. Epub 2021 Jun 29.
The significance of commuting with ebikes as an integral part of the urban mobility of the future can no longer be ignored. The real and perceived hazards of cycling in urban areas and sharing roads with other motorized vehicles have been identified as a major barrier to wider adoption of ebikes. The objective of this study is to investigate parameters that affect the anxiety level of cyclists, which influences their safety and interaction with other road users. An ebike was instrumented with a variety of sensors and equipment to monitor the speed, balance of bike, type, and proximity of vehicles overtaking cyclists, as well as the events on the road. Thirty-two participants rode the instrumented ebike for 12 km on urban roads in Oshawa, ON, Canada. Participants wore a heart rate sensor attached to their chest and a helmet equipped with a peripheral detection task setup to measure stress and mental workload. This naturalistic study showed that most participants had concerns about the threats and risks of crashes when sharing the road with other vehicles. The data showed that the significant difference in acceleration between ebikes and conventional bikes does not change the perception of safety for cyclists. Additionally, the outcomes indicate that mental workload and average heart rate increase at lower speeds when passing a queue of vehicles in traffic or at intersections. Across all participants, the balance of the bike did not change significantly. Also, neither the heart rate nor mental workload showed a significant effect on the balance of the bike. This study suggests that dense traffic in the afternoon and the demands of riding a bike in complex traffic conditions result in a higher mental workload even though cyclists slowed down their speeds. Furthermore, the majority reported perceived risks of cycling on a shared road with other vehicles regardless of the demographic differences. The findings from this study can be used as a framework for the development of active safety features for ebikes.
电动自行车通勤作为未来城市交通的重要组成部分，其意义不容忽视。在城市地区骑车和与其他机动车辆共享道路的实际和感知风险已被确定为广泛采用电动自行车的主要障碍。本研究的目的是调查影响自行车骑行者焦虑水平的参数，这些参数会影响他们的安全和与其他道路使用者的互动。一辆电动自行车配备了各种传感器和设备，以监测速度、自行车平衡、超越自行车的车辆类型和接近度，以及道路上的事件。32 名参与者在加拿大安大略省奥沙瓦的城市道路上骑着装有仪器的电动自行车行驶了 12 公里。参与者佩戴贴在胸部的心率传感器和配备周边检测任务的头盔，以测量压力和心理工作量。这项自然主义研究表明，大多数参与者对与其他车辆共享道路时的碰撞威胁和风险感到担忧。数据表明，电动自行车和传统自行车之间显著的加速度差异并没有改变自行车骑行者对安全的感知。此外，研究结果表明，在交通中或在十字路口通过车辆队列时，速度较低时心理工作量和平均心率会增加。在所有参与者中，自行车的平衡并没有显著变化。心率和心理工作量也没有对自行车的平衡产生显著影响。这项研究表明，下午交通拥堵和在复杂交通条件下骑自行车的要求导致即使自行车减速，心理工作量也会增加。此外，大多数人报告称，无论人口统计差异如何，他们都认为在与其他车辆共享道路上骑车存在风险。本研究的结果可以作为电动自行车主动安全功能开发的框架。
