Citation

Rahman MR, Poudel N, Singleton PA. Transp. Res. F Traffic Psychol. Behav. 2021; 80: 424-435.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.trf.2021.05.013

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Travelers have different concerns about traffic safety, which may affect their transportation choices and risk-taking behaviors as well as the overall safety performance of multimodal transportation systems. The objective of this study was to examine factors associated with stated concerns surrounding traffic safety among travelers using multiple transport modes. The analysis used data from an online questionnaire survey completed by over 2,000 students and employees at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, US. Four latent variables--concerns about pedestrians and cyclists, auto drivers, modal interactions, and roadway conditions--were confirmed using factor analysis from 16 questions about traffic safety concerns. These four types of safety concerns were then analyzed to understand their associations with mode choice, commuting behavior, and socio-demographics using a structural equation model.

RESULTS showed that safety concern varied systematically among different mode users and demographic groups. Auto drivers perceived interactions with pedestrians and cyclists as concerning, while non-auto users felt more concerned by automobile traffic. Commuters who were recently involved in a crash were especially concerned with non-motorized modes. Women, lower-income, and non-white road users were more concerned with traffic safety overall.

FINDINGS about multimodal traffic safety concerns provide insights into people's perceptions, which can be useful in developing designs, plans, and policies for making a safer transportation system for all road users.

Language: en

Keywords

Multimodal transportation; Safety concern; Structural equation modeling; Transportation safety; University