Evaluation of Left-turning Vehicle-bicycle Conflict Risk with Elderly Drivers Using a Coupled Simulator

Abstract

Elderly license holders now account for more than 23% of the total number of license holders in Japan, and the percentage of traffic accidents by the elderly is increasing. It is important to establish traffic safety measures for the elderly. In this study, a cooperative simulator was used to compare the safety of elderly and young drivers at intersection when a car turns left and a bicycle goes straight in three paths (running on the road, shortcut on the sidewalk, and running on the sidewalk). The following findings were obtained: 1. The elderly tended to have a greater distance to the nearest point of approach in all travel paths of a bicycle; 2. minimum TTC is smaller for younger drivers.; 3. Younger drivers are more likely than elderly drivers to feel safe; 4. Comparing anxiety for cyclists and drivers, the percentage of anxiety in cyclists was lower than that in drivers.