Ye, Yun (Ningbo University), CHE, Yuan (Ningbo University), Liang, Haoyang (Tongji University)

Exploring the Influence of Pedestrian Attitude, Propensity, and Risk Perception on Gap Acceptance between Platooning Autonomous Trucks

Scheduled for presentation during the Poster Session "Human Drivers in Intelligent Transportation Systems" (FrAT15), Friday, September 27, 2024, 10:30−12:30, Foyer

2024 IEEE 27th International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC), September 24- 27, 2024, Edmonton, Canada

This information is tentative and subject to change. Compiled on December 26, 2024

Abstract

The rapid progress in autonomous driving technology offers a promising solution to the growing shortage of truck drivers and aims to significantly enhance the efficiency of freight transportation. However, the integration of autonomous trucks, especially when operating in platoons, present complex challenges in ensuring pedestrian safety and understanding the dynamics of pedestrian interactions with these vehicles. This study investigates the gap acceptance behavior of pedestrians when faced with platooning autonomous trucks. By constructing a virtual crossing scenario and conducting video-based pedestrian crossing decision experiments, complementing with stated preference surveys, this research seeks to clarify the intricate relationships between unobserved human factors—such as pedestrian attitudes, risk perceptions, and behaviors—and the observed gap acceptance behavior in the context of autonomous truck platoons. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach is employed to analyze the relationships among pedestrian attitudes, propensity, and risk perception, and to identify key factors influencing risk-taking gap acceptance behaviors in pedestrian interactions with autonomous truck platoons. The results indicate that autonomous trucks are perceived as risky, leading to increased caution among pedestrians and affecting their gap-acceptance behavior. This paper contributes to a deeper understanding of pedestrian gap acceptance and the impact of subjective factors like attitudes and risk perceptions in the context of platooning autonomous trucks, providing insights for advancing autonomous driving technology in the trucking industry.