Understanding Drivers’ Interaction With Traffic Environments - A Traffic Semantic Approach

Book chapter, 2024

The pilot study approached traffic environments as semantic constructions to explore the meaning-making processes that shape road users’ perceptions of and interactions with traffic environments. Conducted in a basic driving simulator, the study involved eight participants who viewed a pre-recorded video of a driven route, paused at six pre-defined traffic situations. Throughout the session, participants were encouraged to think aloud, and at each interval, they completed a questionnaire. Three interdependent contextual spheres were identified which influenced the participants’ perception and interpretation of the situations, risks involved, and how they would plan their actions: (a) the broader geographical area; (b) the specific traffic site encompassing dynamic traffic elements (i.e. other road users) and non-dynamic infrastructural elements (road layout, speed bumps, signage, etc.), and (c) the individual and their attributes (e.g. driving experience) as well as their earlier familiarity with the type of or the specific-traffic site.