How much do Greek Drivers Know about Safety when Driving Through Road Tunnels?

A virtual reality instrument to raise drivers’ awareness on safer driving through road tunnels

“…The process followed for the development of these scenarios is displayed in Figure 1. The use-case for each scenario was based on previous research such as Kirytopoulos et al, 3 Ntzeremes & Kirytopoulos, 5 Kirytopoulos et al, 12 and so on, as well as various other research results as described in section 2. In a nutshell, the literature provided the expected behavioral patterns, along with the shortcomings in drivers' education.…”

“…12,13 Regarding users' safety awareness of tunnel facilities and installations, Zeeri et al 4 refers that a significant part of drivers are unfamiliar with the proper usage of fire extinguishers and emergency telephone booths and are unwilling to abandon their car in the event of a fire accident. Kirytopoulos et al 3 indicates that a substantial proportion of respondents disregard them, putting themselves at risk in the event of an emergency. Another significant conclusion is that up to 15% of drivers are unaware of the signals indicating the distance required to reach the next emergency exit.…”

“…3 However, all studies indicate that participants who are sufficiently informed about the equipment inside the tunnel are prone to receive the proper decisions in avoiding risky behaviors. 3,4,11,12 The effect of education in tunnel users is emphasized on the pivotal role of the evacuation process of trapped users in case of fire, since even a small delay during the evacuation process can be fatal. 5 Beyond extreme conditions, drivers' knowledge exhibits serious gaps in normal conditions too.…”

“…4,11 Drivers' responses to questions regarding their driving behavior are compared to their responses regarding the behavior of other drivers. 3 In doing so, it is discovered that they feel they drive more safely than other drivers and that they drive more cautiously inside road tunnels than others. 4 The variations in how drivers perceive their behavior in comparison to others' may provide an objective picture of driving patterns and possible behavioral goals.…”

“…2 Concerning the role of drivers in tunnel accidents, recent studies reveal that the amount of information they receive regarding the unique characteristics of the tunnel environment is limited and as a result they may exhibit significant weaknesses in dealing with emergency circumstances in tunnels. 3,4 Despite the fact that accident rates in tunnels tend to be lower in various nations when compared to the rest of the road network, 5 the continuing growth in their number worldwide does not excuse complacency. In case of accidents that can cause fire or explosion, the consequences may be extremely severe in terms of human losses, injuries, and infrastructure damage.…”