Effect of information sharing and communication on driver's risk taking

This study aims to decrease Chinese drivers' three risk-taking behavior: risky driving, aggressive driving and vehicle-bicycle interaction. The authors proposed an information sharing and communication system (DISC) to send drivers information and communication from neighboring drivers. Three simulation experiments were conducted to test the effectiveness of the DISC system. Thirty-six male drivers aged between 21 and 35 years old with a moderate amount of driving experience took part in this study. For risky driving, the subjective measures of sensation seeking, personal norm and intention to take risk were rated by after-experiment questionnaires. The measures of anonymity, ego-defensiveness, anger and subjective aggression were rated for aggressive driving. The perceived risk during interaction with bicycles was also rated. Cronbach's alpha was used to calculate the internal consistency of each subjective measure. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the mean of each subjective measure and objective measure. Results showed that when having information and communication, sensation seeking, personal norm, intention, anonymity and perceived risk were significantly changed. Drivers had less risky and aggressive behavior and earlier behavior adjustment when interacting with bicycles. The results provide us with a better understanding of the effect of information sharing on risk-taking behavior in automobile driving. Information frequency and driver acceptance of the information system should be investigated in the future.