Table 1 Factors investigated in the study, together with adaptation predictions and the corresponding layer in ECOM

Character role

Character cyclists in their own role stay within their comfort zone even when they negotiate rule-following.

Targeting: When cycling at a stop-rule intersection, character cyclists will neglect to stop to a larger degree than character drivers.

When driving at a stop-rule intersection, there will be no difference in stopping behaviour between character cyclists and character drivers.

Character cyclists will try to stay within their comfort zone in their role as drivers as well as cyclists, by controlling the boundaries of the zone more often than character drivers.

Regulating: When approaching an intersection with a stop rule, character cyclists will stop pedalling earlier compared to character drivers.

When cycling, character cyclists will pay more attention to other vehicles in situations when other vehicles should yield, compared to character drivers.

When turning right at a signalised intersection as a car driver, character cyclists will a) look for potential cyclists approaching from behind, and b) yield to them to a larger degree than character drivers will.

Road users who experience high complexity will increase their information intake, and even more so when outside of their character role.

Tracking: The outcomes in relation to complexity level will be more pronounced for character cyclists when driving, and for character drivers when cycling.

Current road-user role

The same situational demands will lead to the same levels of comfort, whereas different situational demands for drivers and cyclists will lead to different levels of comfort.

Monitoring: A car driver and a cyclist in a similar traffic situation (going forward at an unsignalised mixed-traffic intersection) will not differ with respect to checking for other road users.

A car driver does not check for other road users as much as a cyclist does if the situational demands for the car driver are lower than for the cyclist (going forward at an unsignalised intersection with separated paths).

Complexity level

Road users who experience high complexity will increase their information intake to stay within their comfort zone.

Tracking: Higher complexity leads to a) more frequent gaze changes, b) longer maximum times between looking at default targets, and c) fewer glances at objects not relevant to driving and riding performance.