Perceived safety using multi-lane and canopied bicycles (velocars)

The feeling of safety is one of the most crucial elements of bicycle promotion. Newer bicycle designs with three or even four wheels have constructive possibilities to implement some safety features comparable to a car, e. g. brake lights, warning lights, and indicator lights, a seat belt or even a canopy to protect the driver from rain and headwinds. Positioning this kind of vehicle between micro car and bicycle, manufacturers try to address new user groups for which a bicycle has been no option nor a car. Further developments of recumbent bicycles, velomobiles and cargo bikes, the velocar from the 1930s is experiencing a renaissance. A new design language based on the car, a higher elevation of the head above street level and the addition of the electric motor mean that a completely new vehicle category may emerge that has the chance to develop from a niche into a mass product. Would new user groups be attracted by this kind of vehicle? This research investigates the perceived safety of 124 experienced cyclists riding on cycles like cargo bikes and velomobiles with a wide body of nearly one meter.