Road safety risk assessment at pedestrian crossings: a case study from Sułkowice

PASHKEVICH, Anton; NOWAK, Michał · 2017 · Crossref

DOI: 10.20858/sjsutst.2017.95.15

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Summary

This paper addresses the critical issue of pedestrian safety at marked crossings, which represent primary conflict points between vulnerable road users and vehicular traffic. Motivated by high pedestrian casualty rates in the EU and Poland, the authors aim to demonstrate a universal method for assessing road safety risk at pedestrian crossings. The study focuses on identifying engineering and behavioral factors that influence accident likelihood, with the goal of providing road administrators with a tool to evaluate infrastructure effectiveness and prioritize safety improvements. The methodology employs a risk factor analysis based on 26 specific parameters, comprising 23 engineering and environmental features and three behavioral factors. The study was conducted as a case study in Sułkowice, Poland, assessing 17 pedestrian crossings along a secondary two-lane road with an average daily traffic of nearly 10,000 vehicles. Data collection occurred during morning peak hours in spring 2015. Engineering factors included road width, lane count, presence of kerbs, street lighting, crossing angle, proximity to intersections, condition of road markings, visibility obstructions, speed limits, and traffic calming measures such as raised crossings, road humps, safety islands, and road narrowing. Behavioral factors assessed included unsafe pedestrian actions (e.g., running across crossings), actual vehicle speeds measured via travel time between stationary objects, and historical accident data. The total risk score (W) was calculated as the product of these individual factor scores, categorizing crossings into four risk levels from safe (W ≤ 5) to dangerous (W ≥ 15). The results indicated that the infrastructure was generally in average condition, though vehicle speeds frequently exceeded posted limits of 40–50 km/h, reaching up to 76 km/h. Of the 17 crossings assessed, only two were classified as safe (Risk Level 4), while five were deemed high risk (Risk Level 2). No crossings reached the highest "dangerous" classification. The safe crossings benefited from additional horizontal and vertical markings, including colored surfaces that enhanced driver vigilance. Conversely, high-risk crossings often lacked engineered traffic-calming features and suffered from poor design, such as one crossing located near a preschool that lacked adequate lighting and forced pedestrians into unsafe maneuvers near a bus stop. The authors noted that several crossings were borderline, where minor negative changes could elevate their risk status. The study concludes that improving pedestrian safety is most effectively achieved through engineering interventions that calm vehicular traffic, specifically raised crossings, road narrowing, and safety islands. Additional horizontal markings are identified as an inexpensive and efficient method to alert drivers. The authors emphasize that removing crossings is not a viable safety strategy. While the presented 26-factor methodology is largely objective and applicable to various environments, the authors acknowledge limitations regarding subjective behavioral assessments and short observation periods. They suggest future modifications to the scoring system to further reduce subjectivity and incorporate additional parameters.

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• pedestrian behavior perception