Progress in pedestrian safety research

Abstract

This paper looks at the pedestrian safety issue and the research that has followed to understand and solve the problem of pedestrian safety in the last 120 years - since the time of the first reported pedestrian fatality in 1899. Researches have studied the epidemiology of pedestrian crashes, pedestrian behaviour, pedestrian movements and pedestrian flows. The suggested strategies to reduce pedestrian crashes have ranged from controlling vehicular speeds to controlling pedestrian behaviour. This study presents a summary of the progress we have made in understanding pedestrian crash patterns. Pedestrian behaviour observed in different regions of the world tend to have similarity in pedestrian behaviour: gap acceptance, preferences of route choice and location for crossing roads. High income countries(HIC) have reported reduction in pedestrian fatalities as compared to low and middle income countries(LMICs), however pedestrian trips have also reduced in these countries leading to concerns about the effectiveness of ‘known’ strategies. Speed control through active measures have been found to have themaximal benefit and education and training programs for altering pedestrian behaviour on the road the least benefits. Low and middle income countries face pedestrian exposure on high speed roads. New research efforts are required to address pedestrian safety in both HIC and LMICs.

Keywords:

• Pedestrian safety
• pedestrian risk
• traffic risk
• pedestrian behaviour

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 Fatal crash with self-driving car was a first — like Bridget Driscoll’s was 121 years ago with one of the first cars. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/tripping/wp/2018/03/22/

2 2017 fatal motor vehicle crashes Overview, https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/us-dot

3 ETSC Report: Making Walking and Cycling on Europe's Roads Safer, www.pacts.org.uk/…/

4 U.S. DOT Announces 2017 Roadway Fatalities Down | NHTSA, https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/

5 Fatal crash with self-driving car was a first — like Bridget Driscoll’s was 121 years ago with one of the first cars. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/tripping/wp/2018/03/22/

6 Fatal crash with self-driving car was a first — like Bridget Driscoll’s was 121 years ago with one of the first cars. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/tripping/wp/2018/03/22/

7 Principles for development of safer rural highway systems for conditions prevailing in low and middle-income countries, https://www.icorsi.org/scientific-papers-international-sym

8 Booth V, Rowlands A, Dollman J. Physical Activity Trends in Separate Contexts Among South Australian Older Children (10–12 Y) and Early Adolescents (13–15 Y) From 1985 to 2013. Pediatric Exercise Science. 2019:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1123/pes.2018-0082

9 Select Committee on Environment and Regional Affairs. Walking in Towns and Cities. London: House of Commons, 2001. Report No.: Eleventh Report. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203

10 Pedestrian safety: a road safety manual for decision-makers …, https://www.who.int/roadsafety/projects/manuals/pedestrian/en/

11 Ibid.