Study of new urban transport mode and user behaviors – NEWMOB
New Mobilities: Behaviors and Interactions with Other Users
The growing environmental awareness and increasing commitment of urban planning policies towards «clean« cities are changing urban mobility. This is resulting in the development of new active mobility practices, whether associated with traditional vehicles or new generations of devices such as Electric Personal Mobility Devices (EPMDs): electric scooters, electric-assist bicycles, and electric unicycles
New Usages and New Risks
The multiplication of these personal devices, with many individual and collective benefits, alongside traditional modes of travel leads to new mobility situations: new users, new behaviors, and new risky situations.<br />The statistics show a recent increase in accidents for these users (ONISR, 2020). Among cyclists, there is a 7% increase in accidents between 2018 and 2019 (5% of these accidents involve a electric bicycle). Over the same period, the data indicate a 17% increase in the number of injured and 13% in deaths for the target users of this project (cyclists and EPMDs combined). Over the period 2010-2019, the number of deaths increased by 34% for these users.<br /><br />These new mobilities concern the public authorities as these new mobility devices are expected to further increase in the future. A new sharing of lanes authorized or imposed by the users themselves is being defined and it is necessary to understand the interactions in a complex urban environment. The objective of the research project is to develop a scientific model of the behavior of these users to enable the identification of efficient risk mitigation measures.<br />This project thus focuses on understanding new mobility situations through the behaviors of bicycle or scooter users, and their electric counterparts as well as gyrowheel users. These target users can be owners of their cycles and machines or self-service fleet users.
The approach adopted in the project combines several methodologies to address the issue from different perspectives: accident analysis, dynamic vehicle capability analysis (track testing), psychosocial risk analysis (survey questionnaires), naturalistic behavioral study (vehicle instrumentation and video recording), simulated scenario study, and virtual reality study to assess the perception of EPMDs by other users.
The project is currently in its data collection phase. The expected results encompass knowledge regarding (1) the utilization of dynamic capabilities of these vehicles and driving behaviors (speeds, accelerations, driving styles, etc.), (2) the cognitive processes of these users and their safety management strategies, (3) the mapping (mobility zones, infrastructure) and characterization (nature, occurrence, factors, etc.) of risk situations for these users. Understanding new mobility situations goes beyond the behavior of EPMDs; it is necessary to consider the overall driving context by incorporating other road users through virtual environments. The expected results pertain to the cognitive processes and risk determinants of other road users, such as motorists and pedestrians. These results will lead to a model of behavior in these new situations, a model that is currently lacking but essential for designing infrastructure, regulations, training, etc., that are adapted and effective. The practical outcomes will focus on enhancing the safety of the target users and other road users while supporting the development of active mobility.
Newmob aims to support the safe development of active mobility. It aligns with the government's active mobility plan, which aims to triple the modal share of soft mobility, from 3% to 9% by 2024. Given the emergence of these new forms of mobility, the project has various impacts, particularly on the societal and economic fronts. The first impact concerns the reduction of accidents through a better understanding of behaviors associated with these new practices. Improving the safety of these new modes of transportation can also have a positive ecological impact since the project should enable better regulation of these practices, thereby promoting their use and reducing transportation-related pollution. Beyond these societal impacts, significant economic impacts can be anticipated for various sector stakeholders. The project can assist the industry, designers, manufacturers, and operators of Electric Personal Mobility Devices (EPMDs), as well as local authorities, in the development of these mobility forms. The increase in users will create a need for a shared service within communities and a unified platform to facilitate user travel, thus enhancing their experience.
On going
The NEW MOB project aims to provide scientific knowledge on the user behavior of new mobility means such as: scooters, « gyrowheels », bicycles and their electric and / or self-service counterparts. By combining disciplines in social sciences (psychology, ergonomics, sociology, etc.) and engineering sciences (mechanics, vehicle dynamics), NEW MOB project proposes to develop models of the driving behavior of these new users. The originality also comes from the notion of "mobility situation" which emphasizes how other users perceive and interact with the new mobility users. These interactions will be studied through virtual reality and simulation. This project is both scientifically ambitious and at the same time very applied and rooted in current issues, with a public / private user committee, demonstrating the utility of NEW MOB.
Project coordination
Philippe Cabon (LABORATOIRE DE PSYCHOLOGIE ET D'ERGONOMIE APPLIQUÉES)
The author of this summary is the project coordinator, who is responsible for the content of this summary. The ANR declines any responsibility as for its contents.
Partner
UNIV. Gustave Eiffel - TS2 UNIV. Gustave Eiffel - Département Transport, santé, sécurité
Movida Production MOVIDA PRODUCTION / Direction Générale
ERGOCENTRE ERGOCENTRE
LaPEA LABORATOIRE DE PSYCHOLOGIE ET D'ERGONOMIE APPLIQUÉES
Help of the ANR 830,145 euros
Beginning and duration of the scientific project:
- 42 Months