A Study on Bicycle Behaviors at Intersections with a Stop Sign in Daily Bicycle Use

Abstract

In Japan, about 60% of bicycle-related accidents occur around intersections every year, and accidents at intersections have become a problem because of violations of laws and regulations by bicycle users. In addition, the "Guidelines for Creating a Safe and Pleasant Environment for Bicycle Use" issued in 2012 states that it is important to grasp the road space and actual conditions of bicycle use in order to formulate a bicycle network plan. In this study, behaviors of bicycle users were recorded by using GPS data, and the relationship between their behaviors at intersections with a stop sign and the road elements at the intersections was examined. First, the rates of stopping and slowing down at the intersections were calculated to grasp the actual condition. Moreover, multivariate analyses were conducted on the compliance to stop and slow down, the passing speed at the intersection, and the deceleration rate just before the intersection, and the factors that are thought to affect each behavior were clarified.