While biking the team got to see a glimpse of how the participants navigate through traffic on their bike. It became apparent that sound is a key factor in identifying if cars are coming. Furthermore, there are many social cues that the participants cannot see, therefore relying on their other senses. This also prompts them to go out of traffic and wait on the side of the road until they are sure it is clear, the road in front of them as well as cars behind them. That is because the participants do not want to feel pressured by the other cars to cross if there is a chance that people with better vision see. By stepping out of traffic, they can focus better and wait until they find it is good to cross. 

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Furthermore, objects or people that are out of place make the journey more difficult as well. For example cars that are parked partly on the bike lane or cyclists that cross right in front of them on the wrong side of the road. As the field of vision is around 3-5m in front of the participants, there is a lot less time to react to these sudden obstacles. 

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Contrast is something else that is of high importance on the road. For instance, the difference between grass and the bike lane is not always as apparent especially in the dark. In these cases it is more difficult to stay on the road. Then there is also the dilemma of the distance to the curb and the middle of the lane, as there are cyclists biking by fast to the left, and the uneven road on the right. 

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When cycling with a trusted partner who knows about how the vision impacts the biking and supports with verbal cues, the cycling becomes smoother. This cannot happen with anyone as a certain level of trust needs to be built. 

 

In conclusion, the visual social cues together with scanning for objects in front and to the side takes a lot of focus of the participant. As well as the social pressure to cross a road can make a bike ride more difficult. If we were to make one of these tasks easier, then the focus of the participant can go towards the other task.