Elderly Pedestrian-Crossing Strategy When Perceiving an Autonomous Vehicle in a Shared Space

This study clarified a pedestrian crossing strategy for elderly Japanese pedestrians when perceiving an autonomous vehicle in a shared space by eliminating road features. Crossing strategy is the basis of pedestrian crossing behavior, and this study distinguishes two types of crossing strategies: conservative and aggressive. We proposed a process for pedestrians who use a strategy to cross the road. Experimental data collected in a virtual reality facility were analyzed to investigate pedestrian-crossing strategies. The variables contributing to the pedestrian crossing behavior and crossing strategy selection were explored. The results indicated that the proposed crossing strategy predicted the observed behaviors of the participants. Pedestrian crossing behavior is influenced by gender, age, and vehicle speed. Higher vehicle speed and pedestrian age lead to pedestrians increasing their crossing time and selecting a conservative walking strategy. The study also showed that males selected an aggressive strategy more frequently than females and that males needed more time to cross the road than females.