AUTO-AUTO AND AUTO-BICYCLE INTERACTIONS IN PRIORITY SITUATIONS --ROAD USER BEHAVIOR. THEORY AND RESEARCH. PAPERS PRESENTED AT THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ROAD SAFETY HELD IN GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS, AUGUST 1987

No established body of knowledge exists which deals with the effects of priority rules and regulations on road user behaviour. Amongst the municipal authorities in the Netherlands two distinct attitudes are prevalent regarding the introduction of priority regulations at intersections in their jurisdiction. One view is that priority regulations should be looked upon with suspicion because they invite traffic on the main road to turn that road into a racing circuit. The other attitude considers priority regulations as one of the more potent means to increase safety on intersections, because they regulate the manner traffic participants have to handle encounters that could become critical. The evidence that can help decide what attitude is correct is scarce, and it stems exclusively from before and after studies. What is needed for the evaluation of priority rules and regulations is knowledge of what goes on in people's minds when they have an encounter that could develop into a conflict (or worse), and what behaviour they display as a consequence. The present study was performed to obtain data that could provide such knowledge concerning at least a number of relevant situations.(a) for the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 815404.