Virtual reality simulations on Pedestrians’ perceived risk in interactions with cyclists

With the growing popularity of cycling and walking as modes of transportation, pedestrians and cyclists are often considered vulnerable road users due to their lack of safety and the risk of injuries in collisions with other road users or each other. Understanding pedestrian safety perceptions in mixed-use urban environments is essential for developing safer shared infrastructure. This study analyzes pedestrian risk perception in three cyclist–pedestrian interaction scenario: a blind corner, a crosswalk, and a shared path. Unlike prior studies that focus on pedestrian-vehicle interactions, this study examines perceived risk in cyclist-pedestrian environments using both virtual reality (VR) and matched real-world video conditions. A total of 42 participants experienced all scenarios and provided subjective risk ratings. Results from paired sample t-tests revealed no significant differences in perceived risk between VR and video conditions for all scenarios (p-value > 0.05). However, shared path conditions showed the highest perceived risk, underlining the need for infrastructure designs that reduce user conflicts, such as physical separation. The study extends the validated use of VR to cyclist–pedestrian conflict scenarios within pedestrian safety research and underscores the importance of designing shared facilities that accommodate the needs of all non-motorized users.