Reported pushy driving against cyclists in Germany.

BACKGROUND: When cyclists and drivers share the road drivers sometimes try to make the cyclist give way. This study assessed which characteristics and attitudes are related to pushy driving. METHODS: The sample included 695 drivers aged 18 to 85 years who answered a German online questionnaire on pushy driving. They saw a sketch with a cyclist in front of them whom they could not overtake easily. They reported how often they engage in different pushy driving behaviors and how legitimate and effective these are. They provided information about their mobility habits, goals, and attitudes. RESULTS: Correlations between reported frequency, perceived legitimacy, and perceived effectiveness of pushy driving were between r = 0.78 and r = 0.80. Many correlations with pushy driving were of medium size: drivers with the goal to drive safe and friendly reported less pushy driving, drivers with the goal to get the cyclist out of the way reported more. The correlations between reported frequency of pushy driving and attitude toward cyclists, self-justification, victim blaming, and feeling bothered by cyclists in built-up areas were of medium size. SUMMARY: The highest correlations with pushy driving were those with perceived legitimacy and perceived effectiveness of pushy driving. The results show that pushy drivers cannot be identified by demographic characteristics or mobility habits. General attitudes and the perception of pushy behaviors in specific situations and drivers' goals in these situations are more important. DISCUSSION: There will always be roads that cyclists and drivers share. In order to reduce pushy driving, its legitimacy could be addressed by campaigns and its effectiveness by a lower speed limit and enforcement.

Stuck in a (literal) tight spot: Cycling between tram rails, sharrows and parked cars.

PROBLEM: Cyclists riding next to parked vehicles are at risk of crashes with opening vehicle doors. A central position, out of this dooring zone, decreases such a risk but comes with other problems like potentially smaller passing distances kept by overtaking motorists or having to cross tram rails. METHOD: Factors influencing cyclists' choice of position were investigated by showing a total of 3,444 German cyclists different traffic situations in two online surveys. In the first study (N = 1,850), parked cars, the position of a cyclist riding ahead in the presented images (towards the curb/center of the lane), and presence and kind of sharrows were varied. As the variation in results for the different sharrow types was negligible, in Study 2 (N = 1,594), only the most common type was used. Whether cyclists prefer to accept the risk of falling while crossing tram rails or the risk of being too close to the curb or parked cars was investigated, varying the presence of tram rails, which has not been previously researched. In both studies, respondents indicated which position on the road they would choose in the depicted situations and answered questions about subjective safety, a factor closely related to cyclists' choice of position. RESULTS: Cyclists chose positions farther towards the center of the road if there were parked cars and they chose an even more central position with tram rails. Respondents felt safer with sharrows on the road as well as in situations without parked cars and in situations without tram rails. Discussion and practical implications: The results indicate that, in addition to infrastructure characteristics, other cyclists' behavior (descriptive norm) influences cyclists' position on the road as well as their perceived safety. Implications for infrastructure design, especially regarding (the removal of) parked cars, are discussed.

Safe cycling in winter: Results of a case study on the role of de-icing in the city of Hamburg, Germany.

INTRODUCTION: In parts of Europe and North America, cycling volumes decrease in winter due to a reduction in subjective safety. To counter this, high-quality winter maintenance is required on cycle paths. At the moment, grit and sodium chloride are considered state-of-the-art gritting/de-icing materials in Germany. However, grit has to be removed after winter because it poses a serious injury risk on dry streets, and, in various German cities, using sodium chloride is prohibited on segregated bike paths due to the harmful impact on surrounding trees. Therefore, there is a need for alternative gritting/de-icing materials. METHOD: We used a mixed-methods approach consisting of qualitative and quantitative surveys together with laboratory investigations and a life cycle assessment to find suitable alternatives to sodium chloride and grit for use on segregated bike paths, and tested four de-icing materials (sodium chloride as a reference, sodium formate, calcium magnesium acetate or CMA, and potassium acetate) at two sites in Hamburg, Germany. The tests were accompanied by on-site cyclist surveys. RESULTS: The results show that the use of alternative (non-sodium chloride) de-icing materials either reduces or eliminates negative impacts on the environment at a local level, for example on trees along the cycle path. However, this reduction goes hand in hand with increasing negative environmental impacts at a global level due to higher overall emissions associated with the tested alternative de-icing materials. Regarding cyclists' safety, sodium formate was the only de-icing material which delivered comparable results to sodium chloride and should therefore be tested in extended conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed on the large-scale application of the investigated de-icing agents on cycle paths in different cities, along with a survey of a larger number of cyclists. A final evaluation of the environmental aspects can only be made when the supply and production conditions for large-scale use are clear. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Basically there are two options for the practical application of de-icing materials: The usage of the costlier alternatives with better properties at a local level in the hope of fast development towards a better global GHG footprint in their manufacturing processes, or sticking to the use of grit and sodium chloride (where it is possible) while committing to improving clean-up after the snow and ice melt to prevent unsafe road conditions in spring.

Which signal modalities do cyclists prefer based on experiences in road traffic?

Objective: On-bike systems warning cyclists about critical situations are a promising approach to improve safety. The chosen warning modality might strongly influence whether the cyclist accepts the system. So far, cyclists' warning preferences have not been analyzed based on field data. They were only analyzed through web-based surveys or a simulator study without including the three most promising signal types (i.e., visual, auditory and vibro-tactile). This study aims to evaluate the signal preferences for transmitting information to cyclists based on experience of the signals in the field.Method: We conducted a field study where participants received signals of different signal types, i. e. visual, auditory and vibro-tactile signals, while cycling. After completing the course, all participants answered a questionnaire on their subjective experiences of the signals. The participants separately cycled a 10 km long route in road traffic. All participants received 12 signals per modality on predefined GPS coordinates. The course covered different environmental conditions like loud ambient noise, gravel roads or high visual load.Results: The data of 55 participants was analyzed. The participants chose the auditory and vibro-tactile signal over the visual signal. When asked, they significantly preferred an auditory warning to the other two signal types. The participants rated the auditory signal as most urgent and frequently associated it with warnings. Participants reported the visual signal as distracting from the cycling task and the vibro-tactile signals as difficult to distinguish from surface related vibrations.Conclusion: The advantages of different signal modalities can be applied to develop information transmission systems in the cycling context. Our results show that the signal types have inherent qualities which may fit into different areas of application. This study highlights that the choice of a warning modality needs to be balanced on a combination of noticeability, criticality and personal preference.

Alcohol consumption and cycling in contrast to driving.

In Germany, the legal blood alcohol limit for cyclists is much higher (0.16 percent) than the limit for drivers (0.05 percent) - as long as no crash has occurred. The proportion of police-recorded crashes with personal damage under the influence is higher for cyclists than drivers, and the blood alcohol concentrations are higher for cyclists than drivers. 63 women and 204 men who drive a car and use a bike and drink alcohol participated in the online study. In the sample, cycling under the influence (CUI) was more frequent and was observed more frequently among friends than driving under the influence (DUI). Persons who use a particular vehicle type more often in general and when they visit friends also use it more often after alcohol consumption. Persons who drink alcohol more often cycle more often after alcohol consumption. In all aspects covered, drink cycling was seen as more acceptable and less dangerous than drink driving. Persons who cycle more often under the influence observe drink cycling more often among their friends. They think they are less of a danger to themselves and others when cycling after alcohol consumption, and they agree less with the statement that one should leave one's bike parked after alcohol consumption. The attitudes that drinking is unsafe for one's own driving and that one should leave one's car parked are important predictors of (non-)drink driving. For cycling, the most important predictors are bike use frequency and observing drink cycling among friends.

An international review of the frequency of single-bicycle crashes (SBCs) and their relation to bicycle modal share.

OBJECTIVES: To study cyclists' share of transport modes (modal share) and single-bicycle crashes (SBCs) in different countries in order to investigate if the proportion of cyclist injuries resulting from SBCs is affected by variation in modal share. METHODS: A literature search identified figures (largely from western countries) on SBC casualties who are fatally injured, hospitalised or treated at an emergency department. Correlation and regression analyses were used to investigate how bicycle modal share is related to SBCs. RESULTS: On average, 17% of fatal injuries to cyclists are caused by SBCs. Different countries show a range of values between 5% and 30%. Between 60% and 95% of cyclists admitted to hospitals or treated at emergency departments are victims of SBCs. The proportion of all injured cyclists who are injured in SBCs is unrelated to the share of cycling in the modal split. The share of SBC casualties among the total number of road crash casualties increases proportionally less than the increase in bicycle modal share. CONCLUSIONS: While most fatal injuries among cyclists are due to motor vehicle-bicycle crashes, most hospital admissions and emergency department attendances result from SBCs. As found in previous studies of cyclists injured in collisions, this study found that the increase in the number of SBC casualties is proportionally less than the increase in bicycle modal share.

Assessing the quality of tests: revision of the EFPA review model / Evaluación de la calidad de los tests: revisión del modelo de evaluación de la EFPA

Background: Diverse national and international organizations have been developing projects for many years to improve testing practices. The main goal of this paper is to present the revised model of the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA) for the evaluation of the quality of tests. This model aims to provide test users with rigorous information about the theoretical, practical and psychometric characteristics of tests, in order to enhance their use. Method: For the revision of the test review model, an EFPA task force was established, consisting of six European experts from different countries, who worked on the update of the previous European model, adapting it to the recent developments in the field of psychological and educational measurement. Results: The updated EFPA model provides for the comprehensive evaluation of tests. The first part describes test characteristics exhaustively, and in the second part, a quantitative and narrative evaluation of the most relevant psychometric characteristics of tests is presented. Conclusions: A revision of the European model for the description and evaluation of psychological and educational tests is presented. The revised model is analyzed in light of recent developments in the field (AU)

Antecedentes: el objetivo de este trabajo es presentar una revisión del modelo de la Federación Europea de Asociaciones de Psicólogos (EFPA) para la evaluación de los tests. El modelo trata de poner a disposición de los usuarios información contrastada sobre las características teóricas, prácticas y psicométricas de los tests, facilitando con ello un mejor uso de las pruebas. Método: para llevar a cabo la revisión del modelo de evaluación de los tests se formó una comisión de trabajo en el seno de la EFPA formada por seis expertos de diferentes países que trabajaron en la actualización del modelo europeo previo, adaptándolo a los nuevos desarrollos en el ámbito de la evaluación psicológica y educativa. Resultados: la versión actualizada del modelo de la EFPA permite evaluar los tests de forma integral. En una primera parte se describe la prueba de forma exhaustiva, y en la segunda se lleva a cabo la evaluación cuantitativa y cualitativa de las características psicométricas de la prueba. Conclusiones: se presenta la revisión del modelo europeo para la descripción y evaluación de los tests y se comentan los resultados a la luz de los desarrollos recientes en el ámbito de la evaluación psicológica y educativa (AU)

Assessing the quality of tests: revision of the EFPA review model.

BACKGROUND: Diverse national and international organizations have been developing projects for many years to improve testing practices. The main goal of this paper is to present the revised model of the European Federation of Psychologists' Associations (EFPA) for the evaluation of the quality of tests. This model aims to provide test users with rigorous information about the theoretical, practical and psychometric characteristics of tests, in order to enhance their use. METHOD: For the revision of the test review model, an EFPA task force was established, consisting of six European experts from different countries, who worked on the update of the previous European model, adapting it to the recent developments in the field of psychological and educational measurement. RESULTS: The updated EFPA model provides for the comprehensive evaluation of tests. The first part describes test characteristics exhaustively, and in the second part, a quantitative and narrative evaluation of the most relevant psychometric characteristics of tests is presented. CONCLUSIONS: A revision of the European model for the description and evaluation of psychological and educational tests is presented. The revised model is analyzed in light of recent developments in the field.