Activities of car drivers performed during waiting in front of traffic lights at road junctions

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to define activities performed by car (vehicle) drivers while waiting at traffic lights in city areas and how frequent they are. Some of these activities could be a factor leading to possible traffic accident. The research is based on the sample of 17,088 surveyed vehicles. Data were collected on 67 streets in 5 cities in the Czech Republic (Praha, Brno, Pardubice, Olomouc, Frýdek-Místek) from IV/2022 to VI/2023. The way of survey is manual data collection. There are defined and assessed 7 groups of activities – following traffic situation; cellular phone; (vehicle) control elements; talking to other people in a vehicle; paper documents; drinking+eating+smoking; and dressing-up. The modified SWOT analysis is applied in process of definition of these groups of activities. All these activity groups and their impacts on vehicle driving are discussed in the paper. The data collected are assessed in transport technology as well as statistics points of view. Means of descriptive statistics and Goodness-of-Fit test are applied. Data are compared by city as well as by direction of drive (towards/outwards or around the city centre). The relation to the distance from the city centre is assessed in the case of Prague. Differences by drivers leaving residential areas and shopping centres are discussed, as well as the impact of tram transport. The main result is that ca. 65% of drivers still follow traffic while waiting at traffic lights. Talking to others in vehicle is recorded by 14% of drivers. Vehicle control elements are manipulated by 4%. The remaining 17% of drivers perform other (and may be riskier) activities – cellular phone 8%; drinking+eating+smoking 6%; dressing-up 2%; and paper documents 1%. From a transport technology point of view, this structure should be considered as representative. Relationships to some of the facts mentioned were recorded, but they are seen to be not so significant. The increased frequency of ‘drinking+eating+smoking’ and 'dressing-up' activities by leaving shopping centres can be pointed out as an example. The paper is extended by comparison between stated (in on-line survey) and revealed (on-site) preferences, with the result that people are open to allow also activities which can be problem in the point of safety (e.g. cellular phone). The paper is concluded with suggestions. First is statement, that the ergonomics of vehicles that reduce the demands on attention by performing such activities is helpful. The second suggestion is to mark specific parking places for short stops in city areas. Both suggestions are based on the fact, that ca. 21% of drivers perform activities reducing attention, and it is illusory that these activities should be totally replaced by their prohibition. It is necessary to give them the opportunity to manage these activities more safely than by waiting at traffic lights. The paper presents results of activities of students at internships between the Palacký University Olomouc and the University of Pardubice.