Night-time traffic in urban areas : a literature review on road user aspects

• The aim of this literature study is to review recent research on night-time traffic from a road user perspective. The report discusses road users' behaviour, needs and problems in relation to other road users as well as to traffic environment. The study includes 128 references from 1998-2008 and it mainly concerns urban areas. The report begins with a chapter about accident statistics, followed by a theoretical background that includes lighting terminology, Swedish regulations on road equipment, and the human eye and night vision. The main part of the report has its focus on five road user groups - drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, older people and visually impaired people - and their needs, difficulties, performances and behaviour in night-time traffic. The literature gives relatively much information about drivers' situation in night-time traffic, but there is a lack of knowledge in some areas such as drivers' interaction with parts of the driving environment. Also, there is partly a lack of knowledge on pedestrians and older road users. Regarding bicyclists and visually impaired people, there is only very limited literature available.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi -- Tillämpad psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology -- Applied Psychology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Night

Urban area

Accident rate

Traffic regulations

Lighting

Traffic sign

Traffic signal

Carriageway marking

Visibility

Reflectivity

Luminance

Vision

Driver

Behaviour

Pedestrian

Reflectorized material

Cyclist

Old people

Disabled person

Road: Road users

Road: Road users

Road: Accident statistics

Road: Accident statistics

Road: Miscellaneous materials

Road: Miscellaneous materials

Road: Safety devices

Road: Safety devices

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

rap (subject category)