CRICOS No. 00213J

Factors influencing perceived risk by French and Australian cyclists and drivers

Nadine Chaurand, Wanda Griffin, Narelle Haworth & Patricia Delhomme

Presentation to International Conference of Applied Psychology, Paris, July 2014

Background

• Governments promoting cycling for health and transport• High level of perceived risk is a barrier to cycling in traffic• Discrepancies in perceived risk may contribute to

dangers in interactions between cyclists and drivers• Cycling is more common in France than Australia,

particularly among women• Does this reflect cross-cultural differences in perceived

risk?

CRICOS No. 00213J

Perceived control/

responsibility

Type of vehicle operated

Type of interacting

vehiclePast violations

Type of situation

Level of experience

PerceivedRisk

Perceived skill

Gender

Online surveys

• Cyclist and driver surveys in Paris (Chaurand and

Delhomme, 2013) • Translated into English, adapted for LHS driving• Single survey in Brisbane, Australia• Inclusion criteria

– Driver’s licence– “Cyclist” if rode (for transport) more than once a week – “Driver” if rode (to work) once a week or less

• Measured experience, frequency of committing violations, perceived skill

Perceived risk in six situations involving road rule violation

1. Failing to yield when required to at a cross intersection

2. Tailgating a vehicle that has to stop suddenly

3. Going through a red light

4. Failing to indicate when turning into a driveway

5. Crossing into the opposite lane when turning (swerving)

6. Not checking traffic when turning left (FR) / right (AUS) at an intersection

• 3 responsibility configurations– Another rider/car driver– Opposite vehicle type– “you”

Participant characteristics

France Australia

Cyclist N=336 N=444

Female 29%^ 32%

Mean age 45 45

Riding frequency 5.5 days/week 4-6 times/week

Driver N=92 N=151

Female 30%^ 63%

Mean age 43 48

Driving frequency 4-6 times/week 4-6 times/week

CRICOS No. 00213J

Perceived control/

responsibility

Type of vehicle operated

Type of interacting

vehiclePast violations

Type of situation

Level of experience

PerceivedRisk

Perceived skill

Gender

French-Australian comparisons

French-Australian similarities

• Tailgating was most risky and not signalling was least risky

• Drivers in both studies recorded higher perceived risk than cyclists

• In French study, perceived incompetence affected risk ratings, but in Australian study it was also affected by perceived control

Risk ratings by user type and interacting vehicle type

Car Bike0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

France Cyclist

Driver

Car Bike0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

AustraliaCyclist

Driver

Effect of responsibility for violation

You Another0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

AustraliaCyclist

Driver

You Another0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

FranceCyclist

Driver

Gender differences

Cyclist Driver0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

Australia

FemaleMale

Cyclist Driver0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

France

FemaleMale

Summary of French-Australian comparisons

• French cyclists and drivers had lower perceived risk than Australians– most evident in lowest ratings by French cyclists in

interactions with bikes

• Most of the factors affecting perceived risk were similar across countries– higher perceived risk for females overall in Australia,

but only for cyclists in France– perceived risk decreased with weekly time in Australia

but not France

Study limitations

• Risk ratings given sitting at computer, not in real interaction

• Potential for social desirability in reporting violations

• Cyclists rode a lot and findings may not generalise to less regular riders

• Some comparisons between Australia and France complicated by different sample mixes

General conclusions

• Perceived risk is affected by a range of situational and psychosocial factors

• Being responsible for current violation doesn’t lead to lower perceived risk (nor does past history of the violation)

• Extent of increased risk perceived by females is not cycling-specific but may be more important for cycling

• Lower levels of cycling in Australia than France are reflected in higher risk ratings

Questions?n.haworth@qut.edu.au

CRICOS No. 00213J

Mark your Diaries!Sixth International Conference on

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