The self-reported driving and pedestrian behaviour of adults with developmental coordination disorder.

BACKGROUND: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) affects movement coordination, but little is known about how the condition impacts the behaviours of car drivers and pedestrians. AIMS: This study examined the self-reported driving and pedestrian behaviours of adults with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). METHODS AND PROCEDURES: One hundred and twenty-eight participants (62 adults with DCD vs. 66 TD adults) responded to an online survey asking them about their perceptions of confidence and self-reported driving and pedestrian behaviours in the real-world. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Results suggested that adults with DCD felt less confident and reported more lapses in attention (e.g., forgetting where their car was parked) and errors (e.g., failing to check their mirrors prior to a manoeuvre) when driving compared to typically developed (TD) adults. Adults with DCD also reported feeling less confident and reported less adherence to road traffic laws (e.g., not waiting for a green crossing signal before crossing the road) when walking as pedestrians. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: These results offer some much-needed insight into the behaviours of those with DCD outside of the laboratory environment and underline the need for research investigating the driving and pedestrian behaviours of individuals with DCD in 'real-world' contexts.

Seeing the truck, but missing the cyclist: effects of blur on duration thresholds for road hazard detection.

Drivers must respond promptly to a wide range of possible road hazards, from trucks veering into their lane to pedestrians stepping onto the road. While drivers' vision is tested at the point of licensure, visual function can degrade, and drivers may not notice how these changes impact their ability to notice and respond to events in the world in a timely fashion. To safely examine the potential consequences of visual degradation on hazard detection, we performed two experiments examining the impact of simulated optical blur on participants' viewing duration thresholds in a hazard detection task, as a proxy for eyes-on-road duration behind the wheel. Examining this question with older and younger participants, across two experiments, we found an overall increase in viewing duration thresholds under blurred conditions, such that younger and older adults were similarly impacted by blur. Critically, in both groups, we found that the increment in thresholds produced by blur was larger for non-vehicular road hazards (pedestrians, cyclists and animals) compared to vehicular road hazards (cars, trucks and buses). This work suggests that blur poses a particular problem for drivers detecting non-vehicular road users, a population considerably more vulnerable in a collision than vehicular road users. These results also highlight the importance of taking into account the type of hazard when considering the impacts of blur on road hazard detection.

Exploring the challenges faced by Dutch truck drivers in the era of technological advancement.

Introduction: Despite their important role in the economy, truck drivers face several challenges, including adapting to advancing technology. The current study investigated the occupational experiences of Dutch truck drivers to detect common patterns. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to professional drivers in order to collect data on public image, traffic safety, work pressure, transport crime, driver shortage, and sector improvements. Results: The findings based on 3,708 respondents revealed a general dissatisfaction with the image of the industry and reluctance to recommend the profession. A factor analysis of the questionnaire items identified two primary factors: 'Work Pressure', more common among national drivers, and 'Safety & Security Concerns', more common among international drivers. A ChatGPT-assisted analysis of textbox comments indicated that vehicle technology received mixed feedback, with praise for safety and fuel-efficiency improvements, but concerns about reliability and intrusiveness. Discussion: In conclusion, Dutch professional truck drivers indicate a need for industry improvements. While the work pressure for truck drivers in general may not be high relative to certain other occupational groups, truck drivers appear to face a deficit of support and respect.

A blueprint for a new commercial driving epidemiology: An emerging paradigm grounded in integrative exposome and network epistemologies.

Excess health and safety risks of commercial drivers are largely determined by, embedded in, or operate as complex, dynamic, and randomly determined systems with interacting parts. Yet, prevailing epidemiology is entrenched in narrow, deterministic, and static exposure-response frameworks along with ensuing inadequate data and limiting methods, thereby perpetuating an incomplete understanding of commercial drivers' health and safety risks. This paper is grounded in our ongoing research that conceptualizes health and safety challenges of working people as multilayered "wholes" of interacting work and nonwork factors, exemplified by complex-systems epistemologies. Building upon and expanding these assumptions, herein we: (a) discuss how insights from integrative exposome and network-science-based frameworks can enhance our understanding of commercial drivers' chronic disease and injury burden; (b) introduce the "working life exposome of commercial driving" (WLE-CD)-an array of multifactorial and interdependent work and nonwork exposures and associated biological responses that concurrently or sequentially impact commercial drivers' health and safety during and beyond their work tenure; (c) conceptualize commercial drivers' health and safety risks as multilayered networks centered on the WLE-CD and network relational patterns and topological properties-that is, arrangement, connections, and relationships among network components-that largely govern risk dynamics; and (d) elucidate how integrative exposome and network-science-based innovations can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of commercial drivers' chronic disease and injury risk dynamics. Development, validation, and proliferation of this emerging discourse can move commercial driving epidemiology to the frontier of science with implications for policy, action, other working populations, and population health at large.

Factors related to the low-risk perception of driving after cannabis use.

INTRODUCTION: Modifying risk perceptions related to driving after cannabis use (DACU) could deter individuals from enacting this behavior, as low-risk perception is associated with DACU engagement. This study identified sociodemographic characteristics, substance use, other driving behaviors, peer norms, and psychological characteristics that are associated with lower risk perception regarding DACU. METHODS: Canadian drivers aged 17-35 who have used cannabis in the past year (n = 1,467) completed an online questionnaire. A multivariate linear regression model allowed for identifying variables associated with the low-risk perception of DACU (i.e. believing it to be safe as one's driving ability is not impaired by cannabis or by being high). RESULTS: Lower risk perception of DACU was associated with identifying as male, weekly to daily cannabis use, engagement in DACU, general risky driving behaviors, being a passenger of a driver who engages in DACU, number of friends who engage in DACU, and peer approval of DACU. Having driven under the influence of alcohol, living in urban areas, having received traffic tickets in the past three years, and declaring past-week irritability and cognitive problems were associated with holding a higher risk perception related to DACU. DISCUSSION: Road education and prevention programs should target attitudes and perceptions regarding risks shaped by sociocultural norms and past risky driving experiences. They need to reach out more specifically to drivers with the identified characteristics associated with the low-risk perception of DACU. These interventions can potentially help reduce the rate of individuals who engage in this behavior.

Calibrated to drive: Measuring self-assessed driving ability and perceived workload after prolonged sitting and sleep restriction.

Self-assessed driving ability may differ from actual driving performance, leading to poor calibration (i.e., differences between self-assessed driving ability and actual performance), increased risk of accidents and unsafe driving behaviour. Factors such as sleep restriction and sedentary behaviour can impact driver workload, which influences driver calibration. This study aims to investigate how sleep restriction and prolonged sitting impact driver workload and driver calibration to identify strategies that can lead to safer and better calibrated drivers. Participants (n = 84, mean age = 23.5 ± 4.8, 49 % female) undertook a 7-day laboratory study and were randomly allocated to a condition: sitting 9-h sleep opportunity (Sit9), breaking up sitting 9-h sleep opportunity (Break9), sitting 5-h sleep opportunity (Sit5) and breaking up sitting 5-h sleep opportunity (Break5). Break9 and Break5 conditions completed 3-min of light-intensity walking on a treadmill every 30 min between 09:00-17:00 h, while participants in Sit9 and Sit5 conditions remained seated. Each participant completed a 20-min simulated commute in the morning and afternoon each day and completed subjective assessments of driving ability and perceived workload before and after each commute. Objective driving performance was assessed using a driving simulator measuring speed and lane performance metrics. Driver calibration was analysed using a single component and 3-component Brier Score. Correlational matrices were conducted as an exploratory analysis to understand the strength and direction of the relationship between subjective and objective driving outcomes. Analyses revealed participants in Sit9 and Break9 were significantly better calibrated for lane variability, lane position and safe zone-lane parameters at both time points (p < 0.0001) compared to Sit5 and Break5. Break5 participants were better calibrated for safe zone-speed and combined safe zone parameters (p < 0.0001) and speed variability at both time points (p = 0.005) compared to all other conditions. Analyses revealed lower perceived workload scores at both time points for Sit9 and Break9 participants compared to Sit5 and Break5 (p = <0.001). Breaking up sitting during the day may reduce calibration errors compared to sitting during the day for speed keeping parameters. Future studies should investigate if different physical activity frequency and intensity can reduce calibration errors, and better align a driver's self-assessment with their actual performance.

The efficacy of hazard perception training and education: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hazard perception (HP) has been argued to improve with experience, with numerous training programs having been developed in an attempt to fast track the development of this critical safety skill. To date, there has been little synthesis of these methods. OBJECTIVE: The present study sought to synthesise the literature for all road users to capture the breadth of methodologies and intervention types, and quantify their efficacy. DATA SOURCES: A systematic review of both peer reviewed and non-peer-reviewed literature was completed. A total of 57 papers were found to have met inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Research into hazard perception has focused primarily on drivers (with 42 studies), with a limited number of studies focusing on vulnerable road users, including motorcyclists (3 studies), cyclists (7 studies) and pedestrians (5 studies). Training was found to have a large significant effect on improving hazard perception skills for drivers (g = 0.78) and cyclists (g = 0.97), a moderate effect for pedestrians (g = 0.64) and small effect for motorcyclists (g = 0.42). There was considerable heterogeneity in the findings, with the efficacy of training varying as a function of the hazard perception skill being measured, the type of training enacted (active, passive or combined) and the number of sessions of training (single or multiple). Active training and single sessions were found to yield more consistent significant improvements in hazard perception. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that HP training improved HP skill across all road user groups with generally moderate to large effects identified. HP training should employ a training method that actively engages the participants in the training task. Preliminary results suggest that a single session of training may be sufficient to improve HP skill however more research is needed into the delivery of these single sessions and long-term retention. Further research is also required to determine whether improvements in early-stage skills translate to improvements in responses on the road, and the long-term retention of the skills developed through training.

Modeling distracted driving behavior considering cognitive processes.

The modeling of distracted driving behavior has been studied for many years, however, there remain many distraction phenomena that can not be fully modeled. This study proposes a new method that establishes the model using the queuing network model human processor (QN-MHP) framework. Unlike previous models that only consider distracted-driving-related human factors from a mathematical perspective, the proposed method reflects the information processing in the human brain, and simulates the distracted driver's cognitive processes based on a model structure supported by physiological and cognitive research evidence. Firstly, a cumulative activation effect model for external stimuli is adopted to mimic the phenomenon that a driver responds only to stimuli above a certain threshold. Then, dual-task queuing and switching mechanisms are modeled to reflect the cognitive resource allocation under distraction. Finally, the driver's action is modeled by the Intelligent Driver Model (IDM). The model is developed for visual distraction auditory distraction separately. 773 distracted car-following events from the Shanghai Naturalistic Driving Study data were used to calibrate and verify the model. Results show that the model parameters are more uniform and reasonable. Meanwhile, the model accuracy has improved by 57% and 66% compared to the two baseline models respectively. Moreover, the model demonstrates its ability to generate critical pre-crash scenarios and estimate the crash rate of distracted driving. The proposed model is expected to contribute to safety research regarding new vehicle technologies and traffic safety analysis.

The development of a road safety policy index and its application in evaluating the effects of road safety policy.

The paper presents an exploratory study of a road safety policy index developed for Norway. The index consists of ten road safety measures for which data on their use from 1980 to 2021 are available. The ten measures were combined into an index which had an initial value of 50 in 1980 and increased to a value of 185 in 2021. To assess the application of the index in evaluating the effects of road safety policy, negative binomial regression models and multivariate time series models were developed for traffic fatalities, fatalities and serious injuries, and all injuries. The coefficient for the policy index was negative, indicating the road safety policy has contributed to reducing the number of fatalities and injuries. The size of this contribution can be estimated by means of at least three estimators that do not always produce identical values. There is little doubt about the sign of the relationship: a stronger road safety policy (as indicated by index values) is associated with a larger decline in fatalities and injuries. A precise quantification is, however, not possible. Different estimators of effect, all of which can be regarded as plausible, yield different results.

Examining the impact of interventions in reducing self-reported engagement in distracted driving: A systematic review.

Despite the implementation of legal countermeasures, distracted driving remains a prevalent concern for road safety. This systematic review (following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines) summarised the literature on the impact of interventions targeting attitudes/intentions towards, and self-reported engagement in, distracted driving. Studies were eligible for this review if they examined self-reported behaviour/attitudes/intentions pertaining to distracted driving at baseline and post-intervention. Databases searched included PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, and TRID. The review identified 19 articles/interventions, which were categorised into three intervention types. First, all program-based interventions (n = 6) reduced engagement in distracted driving. However, there were notable limitations to these studies, including a lack of control groups and difficulties implementing this intervention in a real-world setting. Second, active interventions (n = 9) were commonly utilised, yet a number of studies did not find any improvements in outcomes. Finally, four studies used a message-based intervention, with three studies reporting reduced intention and/or engagement in distracted driving. There is opportunity for message-based interventions to be communicated effortlessly online and target high-risk driving populations. However, further research is necessary to address limitations highlighted in the review, including follow-up testing and control groups. Implications are discussed with particular emphasis on areas where further research is needed.

Overtaking maneuvers on two-lane highways under the microscope: Exploration of a multidimensional framework for the analysis of safety, comfort and efficiency using simulator data.

An unreasonable overtaking attempt on two-lane highways could cause drivers to suffer in terms of driving safety, comfort, and efficiency. Several external factors related to the traffic environment (e.g., speed and car type of surrounding vehicles), were found to be the significant factors in drivers' overtaking performance in the previous studies. However, the microscopic decision-making (e.g., the moments of the occupation of the opposite lane) mechanisms during overtaking, by means of which drivers react to changes in the external traffic environment and adjust their overtaking trajectories, are still need to be explored. Hence, this study had three goals: (i) To explore the spatial characteristics of micro-decisions (MDs) (such as the start and end point) in overtaking trajectories; (ii) To measure three types of performance indicators (i.e., safety, comfort, and efficiency) for the execution of overtaking maneuvers; (iii) To quantitatively explain the microscopic decision-making mechanism in overtaking. Data for overtaking trajectories were collected from driving a simulation experiment where 52 Chinese student drivers completed a series of overtaking maneuvers on a typical two-lane highway under different traffic conditions. Two analyses were conducted: firstly, the distributions of the relative distance between the ego and surrounding vehicles at four key points (i.e., the start, entry, back, and end) in the overtaking trajectory were investigated and clustered to uncover the spatial characteristics of the MDs. Secondly, the safety, comfort, and efficiency of the overtaking were measured by the aggregations of multi-targets collision risks, triaxial acceleration variances, and spatial consumptions respectively based on the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), which were further applied in a two-stage SEM model to reveal the quantitative interrelationships among the external factors, microscope decisions and performances in overtaking. We confirmed that the MDs could be considered as the mediating variables between the external factors and overtaking performances. In the presence of the more hazardous traffic environment (e.g., faster traffic flow and impeded by a truck), the safety, comfort and efficiency of overtaking would be deteriorated inevitably. But drivers would execute the overtaking under the longer passing sight distance, migrate their trajectories forward, and shorten the spatial duration to significantly improve the overtaking performances. Based on this mechanism, a overtaking trajectory optimization strategy for the advanced or automatic driving system, was confirmed and concluded that 1) the passing gap should be firstly planned according to the sight distance acceptance of different drivers, which directly determine the upper limit of the safety performance in the overtaking; 2) the trajectory forward migration and shortening the whole duration in overtaking could be effective to enhance the overtaking performances of the overtaking on the two-lane highway; 3) the guidance of the stable control of the steering wheel and gas/brake pedals is essential in the overtaking.

Oldest old's travel mode choice and new mobility technology acceptance: case in America and China.

Introduction: The oldest olds (aged 85 and over) are the fastest-growing age segment. However, our understanding of their mobility is limited. To address this gap, we invited 19 U.S. and 30 Chinese "oldest old" to take part in focus groups and complete a mobility questionnaire. We focus on travel mode choice, which includes changes in travel modes, frequency of usage, and perceptions of comfort. Methods: Older adults' familiarity and acceptance of new mobility technologies (e.g., ridesharing, carsharing, and autonomous vehicles) were measured by questionnaire and focus group. Word clouds were also used to illustrate people's reasons for choosing their primary mode of transportation. Results and discussion: The results show that both panels of older adults similarly feel some extent of travel limitations. But the responses among the two groups differ: 18 American participants chose "drive myself" as their primary option a decade ago, while 11 chose it now; no Chinese participants selected it either a decade ago or now. Both currently and 10 years ago, there was a significant difference in mode choice between participants in China and the United States. However, this gap has narrowed over the past decade. Participants in China have significantly changed their transportation preferences compared to 10 years ago, while participants in the US have remained nearly unchanged. American respondents consider "ease" as an important factor, while Chinese respondents pay more attention to "safety" and "no other option to get around" when making travel mode choices. Compared to Chinese participants, American participants were more comfortable with driving an autonomous vehicle. These differences may result from the various developmental stages and transportation policies of the two countries. This study supports the development of new mobility technologies for the oldest old to improve their quality of life.

Frailty and poor physical functioning as risk factors for driving cessation.

Introduction: Frailty and low physical performance are modifiable factors and, therefore, targets for interventions aimed at delaying driving cessation (DC). The objective was to determine the impact of frailty and physical performance on DC. Methods: Multisite prospective cohort of older drivers. The key inclusion criteria are as follows: active driver age 65-79 years, possessing a valid driver's license, without significant cognitive impairment, and driving a 1996 car or a newer model car. Of the 2,990 enrolled participants, 2,986 (99.9%) had at least one frailty or Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) measure and were included in this study. In total, 42% of participants were aged 65-69 years, 86% were non-Hispanic white, 53% were female, 63% were married, and 41% had a high degree of education. The Fried Frailty Phenotype and the Expanded Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) from the National Health and Aging Trends Study were utilized. At each annual visit, DC was assessed by the participant notifying the study team or self-reporting after no driving activity for at least 30 days, verified via GPS. Cox proportional hazard models, including time-varying covariates, were used to examine the impact of the SPPB and frailty scores on time to DC. This assessment included examining interactions by sex. Results: Seventy-three participants (2.4%) stopped driving by the end of year 5. Among women with a fair SPPB score, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of DC was 0.26 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.10-0.65) compared to those with a poor SPPB score. For those with a good SPPB score, the adjusted HR of DC had a p-value of <0.001. Among men with a fair SPPB score, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of DC was 0.45 (95% CI 0.25-0.81) compared to those with a poor SPPB score. For men with a good SPPB score, the adjusted HR of DC was 0.19 (95% CI 0.10-0.36). Sex was not an effect modifier between frailty and DC. For those who were categorized into pre-frail or frail, the adjusted ratio of HR to DC was 6.1 (95% CI 2.7-13.8) compared to those who were not frail. Conclusion and relevance: Frailty and poor physical functioning are major risk factors for driving cessation. Staying physically active may help older adults to extend their driving life expectancy and mobility.

Analyzing the Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) among Motorcyclists in Bangladesh.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire involving 402 motorcyclists from four major southeastern towns, comprising 350 (86.07%) males and 52 (12.93%) females. The chi-square test was applied in bivariate analysis, and binary multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the risk factors of road traffic crashes. Results: This study's findings revealed that the overall reported prevalence of road traffic crashes involving motorcycle drivers over one year was 68.66%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed several factors that significantly impacted road traffic crashes. These factors included driving without a valid driving license, the young age (<20) of motorcyclists, driving in rainy weather, exceeding the speed limit, per-week working hours, smoking status, motorcycle ownership, the brand of motorcycle, and not wearing a helmet while driving. Conclusion: The study findings highlight the need for improving motorcycle safety by implementing measures such as imposing per-week work hour limits for riders, enforcing traffic regulations, and promoting helmet use among motorcycle drivers. The results of this study draw attention to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and motorcycle drivers in the country to decrease motorcycle crashes and the severity of injuries by implementing efficient guidelines and strategies for driving motorcycles. The findings of this study can assist policymakers and concerned authorities in taking the essential steps to lessen road traffic crashes among motorcyclists in Bangladesh.

Predictive effects of organizational justice on job satisfaction in bus drivers: the moderating effects of role overload and proactive personality.

BACKGROUND: There have been few longitudinal studies on Chinese bus drivers and the individual differences in the relationships between organizational justice and job satisfaction. This study examined the organizational justice and job satisfaction in bus drivers and the individual differences in this relationship. METHODS: A two-wave longitudinal study design was employed. A first survey was conducted on 513 Chinese bus drivers in October 2021 that collected socio-demographic information and asked about their perceptions of organizational fairness. A second survey was conducted six months later that asked about role overload and job satisfaction and assessed their proactive personality type. An effect model was then used to explore the moderating effects of role overload and proactive personality type on the relationships between organizational justice and job satisfaction. RESULTS: Both procedural and interactive justice predicted the bus drivers' job satisfaction. Proactive personalities and role overload were found to enhance this relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Organizations could benefit from screening at the recruitment stage for drivers with highly proactive personalities. Relevant training for drivers with low proactive personalities could partially improve employee job satisfaction. When viewed from a Chinese collectivist cultural frame, role overload could reflect trust and a sense of belonging, which could enhance job satisfaction. Finally, to improve employee job satisfaction, organizations need to ensure procedural and interactive justice.

Rapid Return to Braking After Anterior and Posterior Approach Total Hip Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the effect of surgical approach on return to braking after total hip arthroplasty (THA), and few studies have investigated braking after THA with modern surgical techniques and rehabilitation protocols. METHODS: In a prospective comparative design, we enrolled 65 patients who received right-sided primary THA at our institution from April 2018 through March 2020, 34 with a direct anterior approach (DAA) and 31 with a posterior approach (PA). Braking tests measuring brake reaction time (BRT) and brake pedal depression (BPD) were administered to patients preoperatively and at 1, 2, and 4 weeks postoperatively using a realistic driving simulator. BRT and BPD were compared between groups and preoperatively versus postoperatively using mixed-effects models. RESULTS: Preoperative BRT averaged 638 msec in the DAA group and 604 msec in the PA group (P = 0.31). At 1 week postoperatively, the DAA group had significantly prolonged BRT compared with preoperatively (694 msec, P = 0.02). No significant difference was observed in the PA group (633 msec, P = 0.31). Both groups had returned to baseline by 2 weeks, and both had significantly faster BRT at 4 weeks compared with preoperatively (583 msec for DAA, P = 0.01; 537 msec for PA, P < 0.001). BPD was similar between groups, and there were no significant differences between preoperative and postoperative BPD at any time point. CONCLUSIONS: With modern surgical techniques, BRT after right-sided THA returns to baseline levels approximately 2 weeks after surgery. There seems to be a quicker return to preoperative BRT observed in patients with a PA.

Risk field modeling of urban tunnel based on APF.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to explore the changing laws of driving safety in the complex and changing driving environment in urban tunnels, to analyze the evolution of driving risk fields caused by changes in adjacent vehicles, driving behavior characteristics and road environment, and to reveal the formation mechanism of tunnel driving danger zones. METHODS: The kinetic field, behavioral field and potential field models are constructed according to the APF theory. The driving safety risks arising from the surrounding vehicles, driving behavior characteristics and changes in the tunnel environment are analyzed in the process of driving from the open section to the exit of the tunnel. RESULTS: The magnitude of the risk field force is inversely proportional to the spacing of the vehicles and the distance between the tunnel sidewalls, and is proportional to the relative speed between the vehicles and the slope of the longitudinal slope. Under the same conditions, the vehicle at the entrance and exit of the tunnel is subjected to a greater force of travel risk than inside the tunnel, and the effect of speed on the force of the risk field is greater than the distance. CONCLUSIONS: The established model better describes the trend of driving risk during the driving of vehicles in urban tunnels, and the research findings can provide theoretical support for the design and traffic management of urban tunnels.

Energy field-based lane changing behavior interaction model and risk evaluation in the weaving section of expressway.

OBJECTIVE: With the development of intelligent driving assistance systems, the evaluation of driving behavior risk has shifted from traditional single-vehicle studies to multi-vehicle studies. This study aimed to investigate the interaction mechanism between vehicles and to study the microscopic laws of traffic flow operation. METHODS: Firstly, the concept of "driving interaction field" was proposed. The virtual interaction quality and distance were used to define the driving interaction field. The interaction angle distinguished the vehicle interaction between different lanes. Then, the risk mechanism in the interaction process was analyzed by driving risk index. Corresponding thresholds of 50% and 85% quantile values were determined. Finally, the process of the lane-changing simulation experiments was divided into three phases (preparation, execution and adjustment). RESULTS: The driving risk index of the execution phase was larger than the other phases. Meanwhile, the comparison with the classical driving risk indexes revealed that the proposed index was more accurate and intuitive in describing the interaction risks. CONCLUSIONS: The driving interaction model proposed in this study quantified the overall environmental pressure on the vehicle. It overcomes the previous limitation of kinetic interaction parameters. The research provides a new idea for the ITS and autonomous driving systems, contributing to the enhancement of traffic safety and efficiency.