Evaluating Virtual Reality to Teach Children Pedestrian Safety: Initial Results from a Pragmatic Trial

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Theodore Fitzgerald
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1 Evaluating Virtual Reality to Teach Children Pedestrian Safety: Initial Results from a Pragmatic Trial David C. Schwebel 1, Tabitha Combs 2, Daniel Rodriguez 3, Virginia Sisiopiku 1, & Joan Severson 4 1 University of Alabama at Birmingham 2 Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand 3 University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 4 Digital Artefacts, LLC, Iowa City, IA

Epidemiology of Pedestrian Injuries Despite improvements, annually: Over 4,100 American pedestrians killed Over 215,000 American pedestrians seriously injured

2 Epidemiology of Pedestrian Injuries Despite improvements, annually: Over 4,100 American pedestrians killed Over 215,000 American pedestrians seriously injured About ⅓ of injured pedestrians are children Southeastern US has increased risk, perhaps due to climate, culture, and traffic patterns Pedestrian Fatalities Year

3 Pedestrian Behavior: A Complex Cognitive, Perceptual, and Motor Task How do children cross the street? Crossing at a basic street environment Adding complexity: road environment factors Parked cars, obstructions, curves, inclines Route selection Distracted, drunk, or speeding drivers In NC, pedestrian failing to yield represents 14.7% of all crashes Adding complexity: child factors Cognitive immaturity Impulse control Distraction In NC, darting represents 6.6% of all crashes

4 So, how do we prevent pedestrian injuries? A multifaceted approach Traffic Environment Example opportunities: Roadway design, designated pedestrian crossing areas, traffic calming, pedestrian barriers and bridges Drivers Example opportunities: Reduce speeding, reduce distracted driving, reduce drunk driving, increase awareness of pedestrians, increase compliance with laws and regulations Parents and Other Adults Example opportunities: Supervision, Walking School Buses, Crossing Guards Children Our current focus

5 How and when do we teach children? What age? 2? 5? 7? 10? What strategy? Films, games, websites Classroom teaching Streetside training Virtual reality Efficacy, cost, practicality Need multidisciplinary team and attention to technology

6 Virtual Reality Allows safe engagement in the environment without risk of injury Permits careful control of traffic but immersion in an environment that feels real and presents no risk of injury Offers opportunity for repeated practice at the cognitive-perceptual task to be learned Offers immediate feedback on safety of crossings

7 A Pedestrian Virtual Environment Prototype

8 Randomized Trial Randomized trial with 240 children found that children could learn to cross streets safely in virtual environment PROBLEM: how do we get lots of children into a VR pedestrian environment???

9 Solution: Community VR Develop a VR that is light, portable, durable, and easy to use Install and use in schools, community centers, after-school programs, religious institutions Could permit broad dissemination of an effective training strategy

10 Study Objective Develop and test a VR that is durable and portable Evaluate the VR in a within-subjects repeated measures study to test whether children learn via training in community settings

12 VR placed in a school

13 Child Using VR

14 VR Screenshot

15 Pragmatic Trial Conducted in community Inevitable challenges of research in community settings

16 Research Design Pre vs. Post research design, evaluating children s improvement following training Thorough assessment of pedestrian safety prior to and after training in the VR Attention to traffic (looks left and right while waiting, divided by time) Start delay (delay entering safe traffic gap once gap appears) Time to contact (seconds between oncoming vehicle and pedestrian in crosswalk) Unsafe crossings (struck by virtual vehicle, or within 1 second of being struck)

17 Results: Start Delay 1.4 Start Delay 1.2 S e c o n d s Pre-intervention Post-intervention Note: Statistically significant change (p<.01) after controlling for traffic and walk speed, gender

18 Results: Attention to Traffic 0.52 Attention to Traffic L o o k s p e r S e c o n d Pre-intervention Post-intervention Note: Statistically significant change (p<.05) after controlling for traffic and walk speed, gender

19 Results: Time to Contact 3.4 Time to Contact 3.35 S e c o n d s Pre-intervention Post-intervention Note: Statistically significant change (p<.05) after controlling for traffic and walk speed, gender

20 Results: Start Delay 27 Unsafe Crossings 26 P e r c e n t Pre-intervention Post-intervention Note: Change is not statistically significant (traffic and walk speed, gender controlled)

21 Discussion As hypothesized, children entered gaps more efficiently following training Contrary to hypothesis, children were less attentive and had shorter time to contact with oncoming traffic following training May represent more confident and efficient crossing: children chose tighter but still safe gaps to cross within? Post-hoc analysis of time waiting to cross supports this idea, with a.96 second drop (p<.001) postintervention More than six 15-minute sessions may be required for complete safety

22 Impact and Benefit Potential for broad dissemination Placement at YMCA of Greater Birmingham in summer 2014 Possibility of extending system to mobile or internet-based platforms

23 Next steps Consider dosage issues for training in virtual reality Consider internet-based delivery systems Consider training with younger and older children

24 Acknowledgements Grant from the Southeastern Transportation Research, Innovation, Development, and Education Center (STRIDE) at the University of Florida. The STRIDE center is funded through the U.S. Department of Transportation s University Transportation Centers Program. Additional support from Alabama Department of Transportation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Anna Johnston, Mostafa Emeira, and the students of the UAB Youth Safety Lab for help with data collection, entry, and coding Digital Artefacts team for VR development and support Participating community partners at Hemphill Elementary (Birmingham Public Schools), Bluff Park Elementary (Hoover Public Schools), YMCA of Greater Birmingham.

25 Discussion and Questions Contact Information: David C. Schwebel, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Associate Dean for Research in the Sciences University of Alabama at Birmingham 1300 University Blvd., HHB 571 Birmingham, AL USA Phone: 1 (205) schwebel@uab.edu

Traffic Management/Safe Walk Routes January 21, 2014

Traffic Management/Safe Walk Routes January 21, 2014 1 Agenda Welcome Introductions Background Concerns and challenges Traffic management around schools Other District initiatives Review of Florida Statutes