Collision avoidance behaviours of luggage-laden pedestrians

Understanding how pedestrians move and avoid collisions is essential for ensuring safety in crowded environments. In this study, we conducted detailed experiments, focusing on variables such as movement type (walking and running), encounter angles (90 and 180 degrees), and pedestrian characteristics. We analyzed a total of 168 trajectories to gain insights into the collision avoidance strategies employed by luggage-laden pedestrians. Our study highlights the significant impact of luggage on the minimum avoidance distance in vertical encounters, while head-on approaches show limited influence. We use the minimum predicted distance to evaluate time avoidance time, with particular focus on the presence of luggage as a pivotal determinant. Furthermore, we conduct a comprehensive categorization on pedestrian behaviors when carrying luggage, taking into account their speed and trajectory. Our findings reveal distinct strategies adopted by luggage-laden pedestrians when avoiding from the left and right sides. Interestingly, pedestrians employ more efficient conflict mitigation tactics when interacting with luggage-laden individuals approaching from the left compared to the right side. These insights are valuable for optimizing crowd management strategies, particularly in transportation hubs with luggage-laden crowds.