Shared Space or Shared Zone is a concept that invites different kinds of road users to share an urban space. The idea is to create an environment that is attractive and safe to use regardless of mode of transport. The mixture of road user categories and the lack of official traditional traffic rules, such as right of way, mean that the road users have to communicate with each other, in order to interact in a safe and effective way. Low speeds and lack of clear boundaries in physical structures encourage multitudes of road users, which in turn lend itself to safety. However, the interpersonal element requires the users to have fully functional visual perceptual and cognitive abilities to enable them to use it properly. Thus far, the impact of Shared Zone on users with impairments in these required functions remains in large unknown. In particular, eye contact with other road users and the distribution of fixations on traffic relevant, versus non-traffic relevant objects/landmarks were explored in a pilot study but will now be further explored in this three year research project funded by the Swedish Road Administration. The project will start in the early fall of 2013.
