Investigating objective and perceived safety in road mobility

The paper presents the human-centered interdisciplinary methodology “SafeMob - Safe Mobility Experiential and Environmental Assessment” developed by the authors. The method combines Objective Safety (OS) with Perceived Safety (PS) to evaluate the performance of mobility solutions. The interrelation of data from the person (physio/psycho) and the environment (road, vehicle, and the surrounding or interacting context - including flows, buildings, and weather) makes the methodology holistic and interdisciplinary. The final goal is to provide a ‘Decision Support System’ for stakeholders in the mobility field, the automotive sector, and the urban planning area. The paper describes the overall theoretical approach and a specific case study application using a car simulator. Emotional reactions of users, driving through the same virtual scenario with different Level of Details, are assessed to gather information about the perceived safety of the environment.