Development, Implementation and Evaluation of a Countermeasure Program for Alcohol-Involved Pedestrian Crashes

Blomberg, Richard D.; Cleven, Arlene M. · 2000 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This study addresses the significant safety problem of alcohol-impaired pedestrians, identified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as the single largest contributor to adult pedestrian crashes. While previous efforts focused on drunk driving, little attention had been paid to intoxicated pedestrians, who typically exhibit high blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) and make critical errors leading to crashes. The research aimed to devise, develop, and test a comprehensive countermeasure program to reduce alcohol-related pedestrian crashes in a specific community. Baltimore, Maryland, was selected as the test site due to its sufficient crash volume, available police data, and local institutional support. The methodology involved a multi-phase approach beginning with an analysis of the problem. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 20 crash victims and 10 non-victim drinkers to create storyboards detailing pre-crash behaviors and potential intervention points. Analysis of three years of police crash reports and trauma center data revealed that approximately 40% of pedestrian crashes in Baltimore involved alcohol, predominantly affecting males aged 30–59 during late-night weekend hours. An interdepartmental task force, led by the Department of Public Works and including police, fire, health, and liquor license representatives, implemented the "Walk Smart Baltimore" program. Countermeasures were concentrated in two zones covering 21% of the city’s land area but accounting for 73% of alcohol-involved crashes. Interventions included public service announcements, distribution of retroreflective caps, targeted police training, and engineering improvements such as enhanced lighting and signage on high-crash corridors. Evaluation relied on a surrogate measure for alcohol involvement, as police reporting of "had been drinking" was inconsistent. The surrogate group consisted of males aged 30–59 involved in crashes between 7:00 pm and 3:59 am on weekends. Comparing 5.5 years of baseline data to two years of program data, the surrogate group experienced a 16.1% reduction in total crashes. More specifically, crashes within the targeted zones decreased by 22.3%, and crashes on treated roads dropped by 37.5%. In contrast, crashes for other male subgroups increased or remained stable. Box-Jenkins time series analysis confirmed a statistically significant reduction of over 16% in crashes on treated roads involving males aged 14 and older. Serious (incapacitating or fatal) crashes among the surrogate group also declined by 43.9%. The study concludes that the integrated countermeasure program made positive inroads into reducing pedestrian alcohol crashes in Baltimore. The findings demonstrate that targeted, community-based interventions focusing on high-risk demographics and locations can effectively mitigate this safety issue. Based on the program’s structure, the authors developed a five-step guide for other communities to assess local problems, establish coalitions, design culturally appropriate interventions, implement plans, and evaluate results. The research highlights the efficacy of combining engineering, enforcement, and education strategies to address pedestrian impairment.

Key finding

The surrogate measure group experienced a 16.1% decrease in average annual crashes and a 37.5% decrease on treated roads, while the comparison group of other males aged 30 to 59 saw a 10.0% increase in total crashes.

Methodology

field_study

Sample size: 432

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• incidence prevalence

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes