Group cycling in urban environments: Analyzing visual attention and riding performance for enhanced road safety

Abstract

China is a major cycling nation with nearly 400 million bicycles, significantly alleviating urban traffic congestion. However, safety concerns are prominent, with approximately 35% of cyclists forming groups with family, friends, or colleagues, exerting a significant impact on the traffic system. This study focuses on group cycling, employing urban cycling experiments, GPS trajectory tracking, and eye-tracking to analyze the visual search, and cycling control of both groups and individuals. Findings reveal that group cyclists tend to focus more on companions, leading to a dispersed gaze pattern compared to individual riders who focus more on the direct path and surroundings. Group riders also exhibit shorter fixation times on traffic signs, potentially indicating decreased attention to traffic regulations. Despite similar lateral position deviation, group cyclists exhibit higher steering entropy, indicating greater variability in their steering choices. Additionally, group riders demonstrate varied passing times, suggesting a collective advantage in navigating complex traffic conditions. This study enhances our understanding of bicycles within traffic dynamics, offering valuable insights for traffic management systems.