Safety behaviors and collision risks between pedestrians and micro-mobilities in multi-user virtual reality environments

Understanding the complex interactions between pedestrians and micro-mobilities on streets, especially with the increasing use of e-scooters, presents a persistent challenge. This study seeks to fill this gap by investigating the collision risk among sidewalk users, focusing specifically on evasive actions and sidewalk configurations.The analytical framework of this study encompasses three main objectives: (1) identifying differences in evasive actions and risks among pedestrians and the two types of micro-mobilities—bicycles and e-scooters; (2) investigating the impact of concurrent evasive actions between pedestrians and micro-mobilities on collision risks; and (3) exploring practical implications of lane separations for sidewalk users. A total of 102 participants took part in VR environment experiments, each engaging in three sessions as a pedestrian, bicycle rider, and e-scooter user. Evasive actions, risk, and risk assessment serve as pivotal metrics of behaviors and cognition in the VR environment, quantified through behavioral observations and questionnaires. The study’s findings illustrate that taking evasive actions significantly reduces risks, particularly regarding micro-vehicles, where early evasive actions by micro-vehicle users play a crucial role in enhancing pedestrian safety. Additionally, a three-lane sidewalk proves effective in diminishing risks and risk assessments between pedestrians and e-scooters. The insights gained into behaviors and risk models from this study hold the potential to enhance understanding of pedestrian safety and mitigate risks between pedestrians and micro-mobility vehicles.