Experimental Study of Cyclist’ Sensitivity When They Are Overtaken by a Motor Vehicle: A Pilot Study in a Street without Cycle Lanes

Abstract

The objective of this work is to study the sensitivity of cyclists who are overtaken by a motor vehicle in a street route without cycling lanes. To achieve this, an experimental method is proposed in which 17 cyclists were recruited and classified into two groups: non-experienced users and experienced ones. In each run, the motor vehicle generated a stimulus presented on the route, considering different speeds and distances in the overtaken maneuver of the motor vehicle. The sensitivity was reported by audiovisual records to capture the stimuli to which they were subjected. The results obtained show that an experienced cyclist reacts 1.27 times faster than a non-experienced one. This advantage gives experienced users greater safety and a level of confidence on the road, since being able to go faster, reduces their relative speed difference with motor vehicles and gives such cyclists a greater feeling of comfort during their trip. As future research, it is proposed to carry out studies with different types of cyclists and group size to be able to compare the perceived sensitivities of making the trip individually versus one made collectively for different types of road infrastructure such as dedicated cycling pathways.