A New Look at Pedestrian Safety

NHTSA · 1975 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This 1975 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report addresses the escalating crisis of pedestrian safety in the United States, motivated by a 30 percent increase in pedestrian accidents since 1963. The document highlights that over 400,000 pedestrian accidents occurred annually, resulting in 11,000 fatalities, which constituted 20 percent of the national highway death toll. The report argues that pedestrian safety can no longer be treated as an individual responsibility but requires systemic intervention by planners, engineers, and policymakers, as existing measures were deemed insufficient. The study employs a systematic analytical framework to categorize and understand pedestrian accidents. NHTSA researchers reviewed current state and local ordinances, regulations, and safety programs. They developed a behavioral sequence model to analyze accident causation, identifying six critical functions: Search, Detection, Evaluation, Decision, Human Action, and Vehicle Action. The report posits that failures or delays at any step in this sequence precipitate accidents. Furthermore, the authors categorized accidents into approximately thirty specific types, identifying six common scenarios—such as "Dartout," "Intersection Dash," and "Vehicle Turn-Attention Conflict"—that accounted for roughly 60 percent of all incidents. The analysis also examined environmental, vehicle, driver, and pedestrian factors contributing to these failures. The findings reveal significant gaps in infrastructure, law enforcement, and data collection. The report notes that 85 percent of accidents occur on urban and suburban streets, with peak danger between 3:00 and 6:00 P.M. Demographic data showed that children under fifteen accounted for 25 percent of fatalities, while adults over forty comprised over 50 percent. The study criticized the lack of uniformity in pedestrian laws, noting that inconsistent right-of-way statutes often confused drivers and pedestrians. Additionally, it highlighted that police enforcement of pedestrian laws was a low priority, and accident data recording lacked standardization, often conflating pedestrian and bicyclist incidents. Existing safety programs were largely limited to school-aged children, leaving adult pedestrians, who suffered the majority of fatalities, largely unprotected. The report concludes that effective countermeasures must address human, vehicle, and environmental factors through a coordinated approach. It recommends establishing uniform national laws that reflect reasonable pedestrian behavior, increasing police enforcement priority, and improving data collection methods. Specific engineering solutions proposed include adequate separation of traffic via footpaths and overpasses, improved crosswalk illumination, and traffic signal adjustments. The authors advocate for comprehensive municipal programs that integrate engineering, education, and enforcement, urging that pedestrian safety become a significant, funded component of all state highway safety programs.

Key finding

Pedestrian accidents increased by 30 percent since 1963, with 85 percent occurring on urban and suburban streets and 25 percent of fatalities involving children under fifteen.

Methodology

review

Provenance

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Topics

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• pedestrian behavior perception
• child pedestrian
• pedal misapplication