Influence of Driving Behavior of Vehicle Overtaking Bicycles on Driving Behavior in the Opposite Lane

Abstract

The bicycle environment has been improved on roadways in Japan as "A guideline for creating a safe and pleasant cycling environment" was enacted in 2012. When drivers overtake bicycles on roadways, they often overhang the centerline on single lane road that is not wide enough. As a result, depending on the approach of oncoming traffic, bicycles on the roadway might even affect cars in the opposite lane, such as causing avoidance behavior of oncoming traffic. In this study, therefore, we examined the drivers' overtaking behavior of bicycles and the influence of their overtaking behavior on the driving behavior in the opposite lane. Based on a bicycle riding survey on roads of different widths, the overtaking behavior of drivers was clarified. Then, based on the results, driving experiments using a driving simulator were conducted, and the effect of bicycles on the roadway on the driving behavior in the opposite lane has been clarified.