Enhancing Safety through Bicycle Simulation and Virtual Reality: A study on Risk Index and Pedestrian-Cyclists Interactions

The thesis addresses the escalating concern surrounding cyclist safety on roads, underscored by the rising incidence of accidents annually. With a pivotal shift in research focus towards understanding and mitigating the vulnerabilities faced by cyclists, this study embarks on a comprehensive examination of risky situations encountered by cyclists. The specific objective is to validate a risk index tailored to various factors such as infrastructure characteristics, cyclist behaviour, and interactions with other road users. Through the utilization of bicycle simulator at the PICS-L laboratory of Gustave Eiffel University in Paris – France and Virtual Reality research work at Universita Di Bologna – Italy. The tasks encompass a thorough review of existing literature, organization of simulation campaigns, preparation of questionnaires, conduct of participant interviews, documentation of incidents, analysis of risk index performance, and experimentation on cyclist behaviour under different conditions. Moreover, the study extends its purview to encompass interactions between cyclists and pedestrians, employing both bicycle simulators and virtual reality to gain insights from the perspectives of both road users. By amalgamating insights gleaned from simulations and real-world experimentation, this endeavour aspires to furnish invaluable contributions towards the development of strategies aimed at ensuring the safety and comfort of cyclists navigating urban environments. This structured approach promises to enhance our understanding of urban mobility dynamics and significantly contribute to the enhancement of safety measures for all road users.