Pedestrians

Pedestrians form the second largest group of road casualties (after car occupants). They account for about 15% of the road fatalities in the European Union. The over-55 and under-12 age groups are those with the highest risk of becoming pedestrian casualties. In most countries, accidents involving pedestrians (apart from those resulting in fatal injuries) tend to be underreporteda title="PROMISING 1998" href="/transport/road_safety/specialist/knowledge/road/references/index.htm#Ref_072_Promising_1998">[72].

Design principles and measures for improving pedestrian safety include [72]:

Adequate capacity of pedestrian walking facilities in relation to pedestrian flows/li>
Smooth and non-slippery surfacing for comfortable walking/li>
Avoidance of steep gradients that may not be usable by elderly or disabled pedestrians/li>
Elimination of all obstacles likely to obstruct pedestrian routes/li>
Specific direction signing for pedestrians, particularly on the links of the network segregated from motor traffic/li>
Reduction of vehicle speed on links of the network with mixed traffic (residential, commercial or historical streets)/li>
Adequate lighting/li>
Clearance of snow, ice or dead leaves from pedestrian walking facilities as soon as needed/li>
Repair of holes and otherwise damaged surfacing as soon as needed/li>
Reduced risk for pedestrians when crossing in the right place (design must ensure that vehicle users behave as expected)/li>
Local continuity of walking route and reduced physical effort/li>
Reduced waiting time and long enough gaps in traffic for safe crossing (traffic light management); conflict-free crossing at traffic lights/li>
Adequate mutual visibility of pedestrians and drivers on the approaches to the crossing/li>
Possibility of crossing safely all along links with particular specifications (commercial streets, leisure or residential areas): reduced width of carriageway to cross or reduced speed of vehicles/li>
Keep the crossing facilities in good repair (especially markings)/li>
Keep the approaches to the crossing clear of obstacles