Behavioural modelling of road users: current research and future needs

Despite the considerable work done on travel behaviour in general and on driving behaviour in particular, it is argued that most of the behavioural models still lack a cognitive explanatory mechanism of the individual’s choice process. The paper presents a survey of recent important research in this area from European and North American perspectives in order to identify issues that should be studied more closely as a base for a new research agenda. It was found that since the human cognitive mechanism of travel decision‐making is universal, idiosyncratic situations, cultural and societal norms can affect the individual’s perception of constraints that will consequently affect the whole decision‐making process. An extension of the Decision Field Theory is proposed as a framework for a new research agenda, which will include the effects of travel situations (e.g. timing, dynamics and type) as well as of cultural habits and societal norms. This theory is aimed at understanding the motivational and cognitive mechanisms that guide a deliberation process involved in making travel decisions under uncertainty.