Investigating the Effect of COVID-19 on Driver Behavior and Road Safety: A Naturalistic Driving Study in Malaysia

Ward Ahmed Al-Hussein, Wenshuang Li, Lip Yee Por (), Chin Soon Ku (), Wajdi Hamza Dawod Alredany, Thanakamon Leesri and Huda Hussein MohamadJawad
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Ward Ahmed Al-Hussein: Department of Computer System and Technology, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
Wenshuang Li: Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
Lip Yee Por: Department of Computer System and Technology, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
Chin Soon Ku: Department of Computer Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kampar 31900, Malaysia
Wajdi Hamza Dawod Alredany: Department of Mathematics, Dhofar University, Salalah 211, Oman
Thanakamon Leesri: School of Community Health Nursing, Institute of Nursing, Suranaree University of Technology, 111 University Ave., Muang, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand
Huda Hussein MohamadJawad: College of Information Technology, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Jalan IKRAM-UNITEN, Kajang 43000, Malaysia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-18

Abstract: The spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 resulted in unprecedented worldwide countermeasures such as lockdowns and suspensions of all retail, recreational, and religious activities for the majority of 2020. Nonetheless, no adequate scientific data have been provided thus far about the impact of COVID-19 on driving behavior and road safety, especially in Malaysia. This study examined the effect of COVID-19 on driving behavior using naturalistic driving data. This was accomplished by comparing the driving behaviors of the same drivers in three periods: before COVID-19 lockdown, during COVID-19 lockdown, and after COVID-19 lockdown. Thirty people were previously recruited in 2019 to drive an instrumental vehicle on a 25 km route while recording their driving data such as speed, acceleration, deceleration, distance to vehicle ahead, and steering. The data acquisition system incorporated various sensors such as an OBDII reader, a lidar, two ultrasonic sensors, an IMU, and a GPS. The same individuals were contacted again in 2020 to drive the same vehicle on the same route in order to capture their driving behavior during the COVID-19 lockdown. Participants were approached once again in 2022 to repeat the procedure in order to capture their driving behavior after the COVID-19 lockdown. Such valuable and trustworthy data enable the assessment of changes in driving behavior throughout the three time periods. Results showed that drivers committed more violations during the COVID-19 lockdown, with young drivers in particular being most affected by the traffic restrictions, driving significantly faster and performing more aggressive steering behaviors during the COVID-19 lockdown than any other time. Furthermore, the locations where the most speeding offenses were committed are highlighted in order to provide lawmakers with guidance on how to improve traffic safety in those areas, in addition to various recommendations on how to manage traffic during future lockdowns.

Keywords: driving behavior; road safety; COVID-19; aggressive driving; naturalistic driving (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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