Impact of Environmental Factors on Passenger Ride Comfort

Abstract

This article analyses the impact of environmental factors on passenger ride comfort in various modes of transportation using an original evaluation method based on a synthetic comfort index. Four key aspects of ride comfort were considered: vibrational, acoustic, thermal, and visual. This study was conducted on a medium-class passenger car and two types of Warsaw metro trains (new and older trainsets). Comfort was evaluated on a five-point scale, where the final score was derived from the lowest score of one of the factors tested. This article emphasises that various environmental factors simultaneously affect passengers, which requires a comprehensive assessment. The proposed method makes it possible to identify areas for improvement, such as noise reduction in older vehicles or road infrastructure upgrades, which can significantly improve the overall quality of travel.