AUTUMN 2025 DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 13
HIGHWAYS IN FOCUS
Coventry University study into how
pedestrians react to automated
vehicles could help make future
roads safer for everyone
As self-driving cars edge closer
to becoming a reality on UK
roads, researchers at Coventry
University say understanding
how pedestrians interact with
automated vehicles (AVs) is
critical to preventing accidents
and saving lives.
With the UK government
projecting that AVs could be on
the roads as early as 2026 and
up to 40% of new cars projected
to be self-driving by 2035, the
pressure is on to ensure these
vehicles can safely navigate realworld environments.
A new international study
led by Coventry University’s
Research Centre for Future
Transport and Cities, in
collaboration with Deakin
University, Australia, reveals
how pedestrians make decisions
when crossing roads in front of
AVs. The study, involving 281
participants, found that people
assess factors like road gradient,
weather, vehicle type and
distance before crossing. The
study, involving 281 participants,
found that people assess factors
like road gradient, weather,
vehicle type and distance before
crossing.
Pedestrians were more
likely to cross when AVs were
travelling uphill, in sunny
weather, and when smaller
vehicles were further away.
These insights suggest AVs
should adopt more cautious
driving styles in riskier scenarios
and signal safely earlier through
deceleration.
Study lead Sachita Shahi,
a postgraduate researcher at
Coventry University and Deakin
University, told GPSJ: “By
identifying the conditions that
make pedestrians feel safer, we
can inform AV design to better
support safe and predictable
road interactions.”
The study also introduced a
psychological dimension to AV-
pedestrian interaction, exploring
how personality traits in昀氀uence
pedestrian behaviour.
Participants were grouped
into three behavioural pro昀椀les
- risk-averse, resolute and
indecisive - based on traits like
agreeableness, openness and
error-proneness. Understanding
these pro昀椀les will allow AV
developers to tailor vehicle
algorithms to different
pedestrian types, potentially
enhancing safety and trust.
Dr William Payre, Assistant
Professor at the Research Centre
for Future Transport and Cities,
who contributed to the study
and is overseeing Sachita’s
research, told GPSJ: “Regardless
of how advanced AV technology
becomes, people still rely on
their lived experiences as
pedestrians. It’s not just about
the technology - it’s about how
people interpret risk based on
what they know.”
“When the road was steep,
they were more cautious. It
wasn’t about the AV, it was
about their own experience.
The sensors and the vehicle try
to interpret how a pedestrian
is behaving to adapt how the
vehicle drives. We’re trying
to give a human 昀氀avour to the
data, not just numbers, to help
AVs think like humans and
understand human behaviour.”
The team now plans to take
their 昀椀ndings into a virtual reality
setting, using eye-tracking and
behavioural data to deepen
understanding of pedestrian
decision-making.
Sachita Shahi said: “Next we
want to see not just when people
cross, but what they look at and
what factors they consider most
important. This will give us a
much deeper insight into how
people interact with AVs. The
aim of all of this work is to make
the roads of the future safer for
everyone.”
Figures show WJ Group delivers £83
million in social value in a year
Road safety, surface
treatments and line marking
specialist, WJ Group, delivered
at least £83 million in social
value in 2023 according to
昀椀gures released recently.
The 昀椀gure has been assessed
rigorously across WJ’s contracts
with National Highways,
Transport Scotland and
local highways authorities
throughout the UK, and has
been certi昀椀ed by PlanetMark. It
has been calculated according
to range of measures, including
carbon reduction, community
engagement, volunteering,
training and employment
opportunities.
Standout contributions
include 30,901 tonnes of CO2
reductions primarily driven
by the use of their bio based
thermoplastic products and more
than 1195 hours volunteering for
community projects by members
of the WJ team, including
projects such as cleaning and
refurbishing the Spit昀椀re and
Walrus monuments on Reginald
Mitchell Way in Stoke-on-Trent.
Paul Aldridge, Sustainability
Director at WJ Group, said:
“Our core operations across
the strategic and local road
network throughout the UK
deliver important social and
economic bene昀椀ts in terms
of road safety and better
journeys. But our activities also
deliver wide-ranging social
bene昀椀ts from improving the
environment through carbon
reduction to skilled employment
opportunities for local people.
To 昀椀nd out more please visit:
www.wj.uk
GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR JOURNAL AUTUMN 2025
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