Prestigious journal publication summarizes efforts to utilize virtual reality to investigate anxiety in young drivers
Urban Environment Simulated in Virtual Reality, TRAVL
Published March 9, 2026
By CSEE staff
In March 2026, current and former students and faculty of the Transportation Research and Visualization Laboratory (TRAVL) at the University at Buffalo (UB) published research findings in the Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour journal.
According to the journal, it serves as a platform for professionals and scholars interested in the field of transportation. The journal publishes research on the psychological and behavioral areas of traffic and transportation. It promotes theoretical development, strengthens evidence-based studies and encourages using research findings in real-world settings.
The article, titled “A virtual reality-based investigation of driving anxiety in young drivers,” shows that driving anxiety is a critical psychological factor that influences driver behavior, safety decisions and crash risk. This is especially true among vulnerable and accident-prone young drivers due to their early developmental stage and limited driving experience. The study used immersive virtual reality and a high-fidelity driving simulator to systematically examine how driving anxiety affects behavioral, physiological, and subjective responses across realistic traffic scenarios.
The research team includes lead author and recent TRAVL researcher and UB alum Dr. Gongda Yu; Ye Wang, a current PhD candidate; Dr. Austin Angulo, TRAVL researcher and assistant professor in the Department of Civil Structural and Environmental Engineering (CSEE); and Dr. Irina Benedyk, TRAVL researcher and assistant professor in CSEE. The team compared the performance of anxiety and non-anxiety sub-cohorts across five complex, realistic driving scenarios.
“Many young drivers experience anxiety behind the wheel, yet we know relatively little about how it affects their confidence and decision-making,” says Yu. “By using virtual reality driving simulations, our research recreates realistic driving situations in a safe environment and allows us to observe how drivers actually respond. These insights can help improve driver education and support safer transportation systems.”
Driver Interaction with Pedestrian Simulated in Virtual Reality, TRAVL
Findings indicated that differences in self-reported emotional states between anxiety and non-anxiety sub-cohorts were more pronounced than their physiological or behavioral differences. Although no significant differences were observed between the groups, reduced speeds were observed for both sub-cohorts in static and complex driving scenarios, demonstrating behavioral adaptation to increased situational demands. Anxious drivers concentrated more on central hazards, consistent with the well-known “tunnel vision” effect, whereas non-anxious drivers exhibited broader gaze distribution, potentially supporting evidence of greater situational awareness. Additional details can be found in the published article online.
“Gongda Yu’s leadership on this project has been instrumental in bridging the gap between psychology and traffic safety,” says Benedyk. “By pioneering the use of immersive virtual reality to study young driver anxiety and adaptation during driving, this research provides the empirical evidence needed to transform how we train and support these road users. This research validates the potential for affirmative feedback to mitigate anxiety, offering a roadmap for future psychological-safety research in the field.”
As a key research center within the Stephen Still Institute for Sustainable Transportation and Logistics, TRAVL drives forward-thinking research and partnerships that enhance transportation systems around the world. The TRAVL team is to be recognized for this significant achievement.
