Matthew R.J. Baldock, Jamie R.R. Mackenzie, Adrian Q. Wilson
{"title":"Evaluation of increased penalties for high risk driving offences in Queensland, Australia","authors":"Matthew R.J. Baldock, Jamie R.R. Mackenzie, Adrian Q. Wilson","doi":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103776","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103776","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In July 2022, penalties for a number of high-risk driving offences (speeding, non/incorrect-use of seatbelts and red light running) were increased in Queensland, Australia (the ‘High-Risk Penalty Increase’). This article provides the outcomes of an evaluation of these changes in penalties. Offence data were analysed to assess whether the higher penalties had led to changes in driving behaviour. Positive findings included reductions in rates of speeding (detected by both fixed and mobile speed cameras) and red light infringements. Overall, the High-Risk Penalty Increase has had an impact consistent with both specific and general deterrence, which would be expected to have positive effects on the safety of Queensland roads. Consistent with a number of previous studies, the results of this evaluation suggest that increasing penalties for driving offences can have a road safety benefit through reductions in offending. However, the penalty increases evaluated in this study coincided with high inflation in Australia and this may have also had an effect on offending rates. That the findings of this study would be replicated in more stable macroeconomic circumstances cannot be assumed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48355,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 103776"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148732138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alan Sims, Chris Irwin, Matthew Stainer, Darren Wishart, Blake Palmer, Iain McGregor, Danielle McCartney
{"title":"Effects of acute alcohol consumption on simulated driving performance, oculomotor behaviour and altruistic driving decisions: a randomised, placebo-controlled study","authors":"Alan Sims, Chris Irwin, Matthew Stainer, Darren Wishart, Blake Palmer, Iain McGregor, Danielle McCartney","doi":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103793","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103793","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alcohol remains one of the leading contributors to road crashes worldwide. It can also serve as a benchmark for interpreting the impairing effects of other substances. Understanding how alcohol influences different aspects of driving behaviour is therefore important. This study investigated the effects of acute alcohol consumption on driving performance, oculomotor behaviour and altruistic driving decisions to calibrate an integrated, multi-measure simulated driving scenario for use as an impairment benchmarking tool. Thirty-seven participants completed a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial involving target blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of 0.00% (placebo), ∼0.05%, and ∼ 0.08%, followed by simulated driving and cognitive testing. Alcohol impaired simulated driving performance: Lateral vehicle control declined at both 0.05% and 0.08% BAC, while effects on longitudinal control (e.g., speed, headway distance) were more apparent at 0.08% BAC. Alcohol also altered oculomotor behaviour in a non–dose-dependent manner, with blink duration increasing more consistently at 0.05% than at 0.08% BAC, and horizontal spread of gaze narrowing only under higher task demands. Altruistic driving behaviour did not differ significantly between treatments, although participants tended to allow fewer merging vehicles at the higher BAC. This research demonstrates the differing sensitivities of behavioural and oculomotor measures to alcohol-induced impairment and provides context for interpreting the magnitude of impairment produced by other factors (e.g., other substances, fatigue, distraction). This work can help guide evidence-based policy and inform assessments of relative driving risk.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48355,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 103793"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148958636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dongchao Huo, Xinyu Du, Yijing Zhang, Ruosong Chang
{"title":"Theoretical construction of stages of drivers' internalization of right-of-way rules and the role of situational urgency: evidence from behavioral and ERPs study","authors":"Dongchao Huo, Xinyu Du, Yijing Zhang, Ruosong Chang","doi":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103797","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103797","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a theory-guided exploratory investigation of the potential links between drivers’ internalization of right-of-way (ROW) rules and behavioral, attentional, and neurophysiological indicators during yielding decision-making. Drawing on theories of rule internalization in developmental and moral psychology, we proposed a preliminary stage-based framework of ROW rule internalization. Experiment 1 used a Tobii Pro Fusion eye-tracker (120 participants) to examine whether the proposed levels of ROW rule internalization were associated with differences in yielding behavior and visual attention. Experiment 2 used an ANT Neuro 32-channel EEG system (55 participants) and a 5 (proposed internalization stages of ROW rules: Stages 1–5) × 3 (situational urgency: high, medium, low) mixed design to explore possible ERP correlates of yielding decision-making Across the five proposed internalization levels, drivers classified as Stage 5 tended to show shorter yielding reaction times, fewer fixation counts, smaller pupil diameters, larger P2 and P3 amplitudes, and reduced N400-like amplitudes. These patterns may indicate more efficient intuitive processing and greater involvement of deliberative processing during yielding decision-making. The findings provide preliminary multimodal evidence for possible associations between traffic-norm internalization and behavioral, eye-tracking, and ERP indicators. However, the proposed Stages of Drivers’ Internalization of Right-of-way Rules (SDIRR) framework should be regarded as preliminary rather than a fully validated developmental stage model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48355,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 103797"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148951888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tian Lei, Yalian Zhu, Lei Gong, Baicheng Li, Qin Luo
{"title":"Exploring the charging behavior of private electric vehicle owners considering the influence of bounded rationality","authors":"Tian Lei, Yalian Zhu, Lei Gong, Baicheng Li, Qin Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103783","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103783","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the charging behavior of EV users is of paramount importance for both charging demand management and the strategic planning of charging infrastructure. While empirical studies on charging behavior modeling have paid less attention to bounded rationality aspects, the present study addresses this gap by investigating its potential influence on private EV owners’ charging decisions. Based on 340 valid stated preference (SP) survey samples, integrated choice and latent variable (ICLV) model is employed. By incorporating cognitive ability, risk attitude, inertia, environmental factors, and emotional factors as latent variables, this study seeks to uncover the potential correlations between these unobserved psychological constructs and EV owners’ charging choices. The results reveal that inertia, environmental factors, and emotional factors exert direct effects on EV owners’ charging behavior. In contrast, while cognitive ability and risk attitude do not show pronounced direct effects, they jointly interact with other conventional factors. The outcomes of the present work provide valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms shaping EV users’ charging behavior and contribute to the formulation of more effective charging demand management strategies, thereby helping to alleviate the strain on charging infrastructure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48355,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 103783"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148951889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding injury risk in high-level automated vehicle crashes at intersections: The behavioral role of human oversight and crash partners","authors":"Muhammad Adeel, Nastaran Moradloo, Asad J.Khattak","doi":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103765","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103765","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Automated vehicles (AVs) equipped with high-level Automated Driving Systems (ADS) are expected to improve traffic safety by reducing human error; however, injury risk remains a critical concern, particularly at operationally complex intersections. This study examines injury risk in real-world ADS-equipped vehicle crashes at intersections using 250 intersection-related ADS crash reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration between July 2021 and April 2024. Binary Logistic Regression and Random Forest models were estimated to distinguish injury from non-injury outcomes and to identify key behavioral and operational correlates. To address class imbalance, the Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE) was applied, improving inferential stability and predictive performance while preserving underlying relationships. Model explainability was enhanced using Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to interpret feature contributions and interaction effects associated with injury risk. Crashes occurring under remote supervision (OR = 2.86; z = 2.85) and fully autonomous operation without a human operator (OR = 5.11; z = 4.21) are associated with higher injury risk relative to crashes involving an in-vehicle driver. Crash partner's (CP's) unlawful behavior (OR = 11.94; z = 4.62) and AV pre-crash system disengagement (OR = 3.90; z = 3.66) exhibit strong associations with injury risk. In addition, rear-end crashes in which the CP rear-ended the AV, head-on collisions, and turning maneuvers are associated with higher injury odds, highlighting elevated risk in complex intersection conflicts. The findings highlight the importance of context-specific human oversight, reliable ADS performance during critical operating conditions, and testing maturity in reducing injury risk at intersections.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48355,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 103765"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148732135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stephan Bischof, Ferdi Botha, Inga Laß, Heiko Rüger
{"title":"Measuring commuting satisfaction: validation of the commuting satisfaction scale in the Australian context","authors":"Stephan Bischof, Ferdi Botha, Inga Laß, Heiko Rüger","doi":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103767","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103767","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Commuting satisfaction is an important sub-domain of subjective well-being, with commuting dissatisfaction linked to lower well-being and negative spillovers into other life domains. Valid and comprehensive measures of commuting satisfaction are therefore imperative. The Commuting Satisfaction Scale (CSS) is designed to assess satisfaction across seven core aspects of commuting. It is intended for use in a variety of settings, including different travel modes, distances, and urban and rural environments. However, the CSS has only been validated once, in a selective sample of commuters in large cities worldwide during the pre-pandemic period. This limits the generalisability and transferability of the findings. Using data from 2107 workers from three waves of the Melbourne Institute–Roy Morgan Taking the Pulse of the Nation (TTPN) survey in Australia, this study validates the CSS for the first time in a general population survey from the post-pandemic period. We employ multiple validation tests, including internal consistency testing, exploratory factor analysis, and assessments of construct and criterion-related validity. Results indicate a one-factor structure with high internal consistency across travel modes and residential contexts. Commuters are most satisfied with safety from crime and least with crowding. Commuting satisfaction is higher among physically active (i.e., walking or cycling) and rural commuters. Longer commuting times are associated with lower commuting satisfaction. Higher commuting satisfaction correlates with lower mental distress and job leaving intentions, but higher life and job satisfaction. These findings provide supportive evidence that the CSS is a reliable and valid instrument in various commuting contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48355,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 103767"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148732558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"What predicts child pedestrian group fragmentation? Behavioral predictors and interaction effects during street crossing","authors":"Jianrong Liu, Xu Xia, Tianyi Peng, Linna Zha","doi":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103753","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103753","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Group fragmentation during street crossing may increase children's exposure to vehicle-related conflicts and potential collision risk. While children commonly cross streets in groups as a protective strategy, the behavioral factors that predict whether groups remain cohesive or fragment under traffic pressure are not well understood. This study employed unmanned aerial vehicle observation to collect 840 group crossing events near primary schools, extracting variables including group size, formation type, walking speed, and environmental characteristics. Random Forest modelling combined with a cross-validation SHAP framework was applied to identify key predictors of group fragmentation, achieving strong predictive performance with AUC of 0.959. Results reveal that movement synchronization is the strongest predictor of group stability, followed by group size and formation type. Parallel formations provide protective effects for small groups, but this benefit diminishes as group size increases, indicating coordination capacity limits. Slower walking speed elevates fragmentation risk, likely reflecting hesitation rather than caution. These findings advance understanding of children's collective crossing behavior and inform school pedestrian safety education emphasizing group coordination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48355,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 103753"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148638927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial to the special issue on enhanced and inclusive road safety in the era of increased urbanization and disruptive technologies","authors":"Haneen Farah, Marjan Hagenzieker","doi":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103752","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103752","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48355,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 103752"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148958635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Riding simulators: What is the way forward?","authors":"Marco Dozza, Tianyou Li, Fredrik Bruzelius","doi":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103739","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103739","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper introduces a novel micromobility simulator that combines a large treadmill with stereophotogrammetry to enable virtual testing of real bicycles and e-scooters while preserving the balancing task and allowing lateral maneuvering. Unlike existing riding simulators, the platform accommodates real vehicles, increasing ecological validity for research on balance and control. The simulator architecture is presented and its potential demonstrated by comparing lateral control during obstacle avoidance—a critical task that previous simulators could not address with comparable realism.</div><div>Because full balance control is preserved, we propose new metrics for comparing balance across micromobility vehicles and show how they complement traditional indicators of lateral control and performance. Overall, the paper contributes 1) a vehicle-agnostic riding simulator and 2) a minimal yet discriminative set of indicators for maneuvering and balance across tasks and vehicles.</div><div>Twelve participants performed cruising and obstacle-avoidance tasks at different speeds on both a bicycle and an e-scooter. Four indicators were analyzed: standard deviation of lane position and steering angle, adapted from driving simulation research, and standard deviation of lean angle and relative upper–lower body angle, inspired by motor control literature. Results revealed distinct patterns across tasks, speeds, and vehicles, with low redundancy among indicators. Notably, during obstacle avoidance, participants exhibited different postural strategies on bicycles and e-scooters and collided more frequently when cycling.</div><div>The simulator enables new research on human–vehicle interaction, ergonomics, and safety in micromobility, although further validation and enhancements are needed to fully exploit its potential.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48355,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 103739"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148638991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How do emotional cues influence drivers' pre-takeover readiness in automated driving? Evidence from olfaction-involved affective multimodal interaction","authors":"Yinjie Lv, Chunhui Jing, Guanyu Lei, Teng Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103755","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trf.2026.103755","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In highly automated driving, drivers' pre-takeover readiness depends not only on system alerts but also on how emotional cues across sensory modalities are integrated. Although olfactory cues may influence emotional experience and autonomic processes during this transition, their role in takeover preparation remains underexplored. To address this gap, this study examined how emotional resonance in an affective interaction engine, together with visual–olfactory emotional consistency, relates to drivers' pre-takeover readiness. A simulated takeover experiment was conducted with 60 licensed drivers. Behavioral performance, takeover quality, autonomic activity indexed by HRV, EEG measures, and subjective evaluations were collected following short olfactory and emotional cues. The results showed that emotionally consistent visual–olfactory cues were associated with higher RMSSD over a 35-s analysis window spanning the pre-odor stabilization and odor presentation periods, as well as more coherent subjective evaluations. In contrast, emotionally inconsistent cue combinations were associated with faster takeover responses. Sustained EEG spectral power did not show reliable condition differences, whereas event-related components showed condition-dependent modulation. Overall, faster takeover responses may not necessarily reflect more stable readiness, but rather transient response facilitation under certain cue conditions. From a traffic safety perspective, supporting a stable psychological and physiological transition before takeover may be as important as minimizing reaction time. In this context, olfaction-supported emotional cue coordination may provide a complementary design approach for promoting coherent and regulated transitions in affective multimodal interfaces.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48355,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 103755"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148638932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}