Dr Ruth Madigan

Profile

I am a Human Factors specialist with a background in applied psychological research, focused on understanding human-vehicle interactions and training requirements for drivers and other road users. Across my research I use psychological concepts and theories to further our understanding of human behaviour in the road environment, making use of a wide range of conventional and novel methodologies to do so.

Responsibilities

• Ethics Lead for ITS

Research interests

My research centres on two main areas. Firstly, I am interested in studying the interactions between drivers, external road users, and automated vehicles, using a variety of methods such as experimental studies, questionnaire data, and qualitative video analysis techniques. In particular, I wish to understand how road users interpret and react to automated vehicle movement and communication patterns. Secondly, I am interested in understanding the learning and training requirements associated with driving in general, along with understanding the learning requirements for driver interactions with automated systems. In both streams of research, my focus is on the use of psychological concepts and theories to further our understanding of human behaviour in the road environment.

For a full list of publications, see also https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=7ThV8CAAAAAJ

Research Projects and Expertise

• e-SAFE (equity, Social determinants, Anti-Social behaviour, Future E-mobility), Road Safety Trust, 2025-2027, Co-Investigator
• Enhancing Novice Driver Safety (ENDS), Road Safety Trust, 2024-2027, Principal Investigator, investigating the impact of driver training using a head mounted display on novice driver safety.
• Hi-Drive, EU H2020 Research and Innovation Action, 2021-2025, Work Package Leader, evaluating the factors affecting acceptance of automated vehicles, exploring driver reactions to automated vehicle systems, developing driver training for ADAS.
• Driver Training Project, UK Department for Transport, 2017-2018, Principal Investigator, developing a proof of concept driver training programmed administered through a head-mounted display
• L3Pilot, EU H2020 Research and Innovation Action, 2017-2021, Co-investigator, evaluating the factors affecting acceptance of automated vehicles, exploring driver reactions to automated vehicle systems through questionnaire and experiment data.
• interACT (Designing cooperative interaction of automated vehicles with other road users in mixed traffic environments), EU 2020 Research and Innovation Action, 2017-2020. Co-Investigator, exploring pedestrian-vehicle and vehicle-vehicle traffic interactions through field and video-based observations of current roadway interactions; development of simulator and test-track studies to explore pedestrian responses to AV movement patterns and external HMIs.
• Driver Training, UK Department for Transport Innovation Challenge Fund, 2017-2018. Principal Investigator, exploring the use of a head mounted display for the delivery of driver training.
• CityMobil2, EC Seventh Framework Programme, 2012-2016. Co-Investigator, exploring road user responses to automated bus demonstrations in three European cities, through video and questionnaire data.
• AdaptIVe, EC Seventh Framework Programme, 2014-2017. Co-Investigator, developing simulator experiments to explore driver take-over reactions in critical and non-critical driving scenarios.
  

• e-SAFE: Equity, Social Determinants, Anti-social Behaviour and Future E-Mobility
• Enhancing Novice Drivers' Safety: Innovative Training to Improve Hazard Anticipation Skills
• Hi-Drive

Qualifications

• PhD in Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Ireland
• MSc in Occupational Psychology, University of Sheffield
• BA in Applied Psychology, University College Cork

Professional memberships

• Member of ISO/TC 22/SC 39/WG 8
• Associate Editor for IET Intelligent Transportation Systems

Research groups and institutes

• Human Factors and Safety