Towards Understanding Worldwide Cross-cultural Differences in Implicit Driving Cues: Review, Comparative Analysis, and Research Roadmap

TL;DR

This paper reviews and analyzes cross-cultural differences in implicit driving cues worldwide, highlighting variations in non-verbal communication and norms, and proposes a research roadmap to enhance global transportation safety and automation.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive worldwide comparison of implicit driving cues across cultures and offers a research roadmap for future studies and system development.

Findings

Significant cross-cultural variations in non-verbal driving cues

Identified gaps in current research on global implicit driving behaviors

Proposed directions for developing culturally aware automated driving systems

Abstract

Recognizing and understanding implicit driving cues across diverse cultures is imperative for fostering safe and efficient global transportation systems, particularly when training new immigrants holding driving licenses from culturally disparate countries. Additionally, it is essential to consider cross-cultural differences in the development of Automated Driving features tailored to different countries. Previous piloting studies have compared and analyzed cross-cultural differences in selected implicit driving cues, but they typically examine only limited countries. However, a comprehensive worldwide comparison and analysis are lacking. This study conducts a thorough review of existing literature, online blogs, and expert insights from diverse countries to investigate cross-cultural disparities in driving behaviors, specifically focusing on implicit cues such as non-verbal communication (e.g., hand gestures, signal lighting, honking), norms, and social expectations. Through comparative analysis, variations in driving cues are illuminated across different cultural contexts. Based on the findings and identified gaps, a research roadmap is proposed for future research to further explore and address these differences, aiming to enhance intercultural communication, improve road safety, and increase transportation efficiency on a global scale. This paper presents the pioneering work towards a comprehensive understanding of the implicit driving cues across cultures. Moreover, this understanding will inform the development of automated driving systems tailored to different countries considering cross-cultural differences.