Eye contact ‘rarely used’ to negotiate in shared space

Street Design

Pedestrians and drivers rarely use eye contact to negotiate priority in shared space environments, according to the DfT’s new shared space guidance published this week.

The long-awaited guidance is the culmination of a two-year research project led by MVA Consultancy into shared spaces – areas in which pedestrians and vehicles interact typically without the aid of features such as kerbs and formal crossing points.

“It has often been suggested that, when crossing a shared space, it is essential for pedestrians to make eye contact with drivers,” says the DfT. “However, during research into user interaction in shared space, no instances of negotiation by eye contact were observed.”

Discuss this and more at LTT's Better Streets: What really works? conference this November