Are you passionate about cycling, safety, and the impact of technology on society? We are looking for volunteers, aged 18 or above, to participate in a cross-regional study that aims to inform design guidelines that promote safe interactions between cyclists and self-driving cars. To express your interest, fill in this 5-minute screening questionnaire.
This study is being conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford and is part of a larger body of work that aims to develop guidelines for cross-cultural considerations that promote safe interactions with autonomous systems like self-driving cars.
The aim of this particular study is to understand the experiences and challenges of cyclists during their commutes, as well as to understand local factors that impact the safety of cyclists across different geographic regions. The findings of the study will be used to inform design and development considerations for self-driving cars such that they tailor to the needs of cyclists and other road users in different locations around the world.
Cyclists are among a segment of road users referred to as Vulnerable Road Users (VRU) due to the little protection they have from crash forces. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023, “more than half of [global road traffic] fatalities are among pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists.” Meanwhile, many of the developments in road transportation are centred around the car, leaving out perspectives of other road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.
Additionally, with the introduction of emerging technologies such as self-driving cars, it is important to consider the perspectives of these other road users to ensure that this technology will be safe for everyone. As such, to deploy self-driving cars safely and responsibly, a holistic approach must be taken that actively engages all road users and considers their experiences. This study aims to seek out feedback from cyclists as a first step towards this type of engagement.
This research study aims to investigate how different features found across geographic locations (e.g., road infrastructure) might impact safety, and the implications this has on the design and development of self-driving cars. This could mean that safety considerations need to be evaluated differently depending on features found within each local environment.
Your participation will support this research by providing contextual evidence describing your cycling experience in your city of residence and the different road features as you encounter them during your cycling journey. You will be part of a network of cyclists around the world providing valuable input that will impact safety considerations for autonomous systems.
1. Filling in the screening questionnaire (also linked in the ‘overview’ section above)
2. The researcher will contact you to let you know whether you qualify for the study
3. If you qualify, you will be asked to fill in an online questionnaire after every cycling journey you take for a duration of 2 weeks (this type of study is referred to as a ‘diary study’)
Contact the researcher at jumana.baghabrah@cs.ox.ac.uk.