Development and Implementation of a Vehicle–Pedestrian Conflict Analysis Method

Kaparias, Ioannis; Bell, Michael G. H.; Greensted, John; Cheng, Saffier; Miri, Ashkan; Taylor, Christopher; Mount, Bill · 2010 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.3141/2198-09

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

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Summary

This paper addresses the lack of suitable traffic conflict analysis methods for vehicle-pedestrian interactions, particularly within "shared space" environments where traditional segregation infrastructure is removed. While existing techniques like the Swedish Traffic Conflicts Technique (STCT) and the US Department of Transportation Conflict Technique (USDTCT) are designed for vehicle-vehicle interactions, they fail to account for the distinct movement patterns and vulnerability of pedestrians. The authors developed a new method by adapting the Institute of Highways and Transportation Conflicts Technique (IHTCT), modifying its four severity factors—time to collision, severity of evasive action, complexity of evasive action, and distance to collision—to reflect pedestrian behavior. Key modifications included introducing a five-level hierarchy for pedestrian movement (from walking to emergency action) and adjusting distance thresholds for formal crossings. The method was implemented at Exhibition Road in London, a site undergoing conversion from a dual carriageway to a shared surface. Data was collected via six high-mast cameras at four high-conflict locations over seven days in August 2008, totaling 42 hours of video analysis. The study focused on peak and off-peak periods to capture varying traffic and pedestrian flows. The analysis involved classifying conflicts based on the modified IHTCT factors and assigning severity grades from 1 (slight) to 4 (serious). To validate the method, results were compared against three years of STATS19 accident data and secondary analysis using the STCT. The findings revealed that over two-thirds of identified conflicts were Grade 1, with severity decreasing progressively up to Grade 4. Thurloe Street recorded the highest number of conflicts and the most severe incidents, correlating with its lack of adequate crossing facilities and poor visibility. A comparison with historical accident data showed a strong correlation between conflict frequency and accident occurrence at most locations, though Thurloe Street exhibited high conflict rates with zero recorded accidents, suggesting that factors like road geometry also influence collision likelihood. When compared to the STCT, the new method produced similar ratios of serious conflicts to accidents (approximately one accident per 15,000 serious conflicts), falling within the range suggested by original STCT studies. The authors concluded that the new method is functionally superior to the STCT for this context due to its simplicity and reduced need for precise speed measurements, while maintaining comparable accuracy. This work provides a validated tool for assessing safety in both conventional and shared space environments.

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• driver vru interaction