Discomfort in pedestrian-electric scooter interactions during frontal approaches

As urban landscapes rapidly integrate e-scooters into their transportation ecosystems, understanding pedestrian-e-scooter interactions becomes paramount for safety and planning. This study investigates pedestrian discomfort levels and avoidance strategies when encountering an e-scooter approaching from the front. 25 participants were exposed to e-scooters approaching at three different speeds and lateral distances. Avoidance paths were plotted, and subjective discomfort levels were recorded and analysed. Our findings underscored two key behaviours: 1) As the speed of the e-scooter increased, participants initiated avoidance manoeuvres from a further distance ahead, suggesting a heightened perception of risk. 2) Regardless of the e-scooter's speed, the lateral distance maintained during passing remained fairly constant. However, when the e-scooter's initial lateral position was closer to participants, both the initiation distance for avoidance and the reported discomfort level increased noticeably. The findings underscore the critical influence of lateral distance and e-scooter speed on pedestrian comfort and avoidance behaviour. These insights can guide urban planners and policymakers in designing safer and more efficient shared spaces. •25 participants avoided e-scooters approaching at three different speeds and lateral distances.•As e-scooter speed increased, participants initiated avoidance manoeuvres from a further distance ahead.•Regardless of e-scooter's speed, lateral distance maintained during passing remained constant•When e-scooter's initial lateral position was closer, both avoidance initiation distance and discomfort level increased.