Understanding risk perceptions of e-scooter use: E-scooter users and non-users.

E-scooters share the roads with other users, making it crucial to understand how these different road users perceive the risky behaviors of e-scooter riders. While perceptions of risk situations caused by the e-scooter rider are likely complex and multifaceted, previous research has not adequately clarified these perspectives. Additionally, the specific roles of assessment tools in describing each distinct risk scenario have yet to be thoroughly examined. This study analyzed the validity of existing risk assessments by examining e-scooter risk perceptions among both users and non-users, grouped according to riding experience (non-users: fewer than five rides; users: five or more rides). The assessment included three primary analyses: (1) a comparison of perceived risk and perceived control across two descriptive assessment tools (text-based and video-based); (2) an examination of the relationships among perceived risk, perceived control, and willingness to share the road; and (3) an analysis of differences in how e-scooter users and non-users prioritize evaluation criteria when assessing specific risky situations. Participants (20 e-scooter users and 20 non-users) evaluated 14 risky scenarios. Data on perceived risk and willingness to share were collected for each scenario, while perceived control was assessed once after viewing all 14 scenarios. Analyses were conducted using SPSS, with paired t-tests to assess differences across assessment tools, 2-tailed correlation tests to examine relationships among variables, and Kruskal-Wallis tests to rank the importance of different evaluation criteria by group. The results of the study confirmed that participants' risk perceptions varied depending on the assessment tool used to describe risk. Additionally, it demonstrated that road user experience influences various perceptions of risk. The results underscore the importance of selecting appropriate assessment tools for effective risk communication and assessment strategies and emphasize the need to complementarily use various descriptive assessment tools as necessary.