Abstract
Pedestrian safety is a well-known issue, such that many road safety associations emphasize measures to improve this aspect. One of the main conflict points is pedestrian crossings, where motorized and non-motorized traffic flows directly interact and where pedestrian attention and reaction are two elements that can strongly influence their safety. Nowadays, these aspects are often deviated by the use of smartphones to surf the Internet or social media. The aim of the present study is to find out (1) whether and how intersection typology affects pedestrian behavior, both in terms of attention and crossing performance, and (2) whether and how gaze and behavioral characteristics are affected by smartphone use and social media browsing. To achieve this goal, eye-tracking technology was used to obtain qualitative and quantitative information on the number of fixations, their duration, and reaction times of pedestrians. Additionally, from the eye-tracking videos, it was possible to derive pedestrian waiting times, crossing times, and speeds. Statistical tests were conducted to determine if there is a significant difference in pedestrian behavior at the three different types of intersections and in their behavior when using or not using their device. Results confirm the initial hypotheses and quantify the difference in pedestrian gaze behavior and crossing performance when walking across three different types of signalized crosswalks.
Highlights
According to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) PIN report [1], 70% of all pedestrian deaths occurred in 2017, which happened on urban roads
A similar statistical analysis of the crossing variables will be conducted to determine if a difference in gaze behavior is associated with a difference in overall pedestrian crossing performance
The goal of this study was to increase knowledge of the effects of different intersection typologies and smartphone use on pedestrian visual and behavioral performance. It plays a central role in the planning and design of pedestrian–vehicle conflict zones, and even in earlier stages would be beneficial for authorities to improve their regulations about these conflicting areas, little has been performed in the literature on this topic
Summary
According to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) PIN report [1], 70% of all pedestrian deaths occurred in 2017, which happened on urban roads. Pedestrians’ visual capability is an important characteristic for their safety when approaching the road, and better visual acuity and attention allocation can play a key role when dangerous events occur. Related to these two characteristics is pedestrian reaction time, which is the time it takes for a pedestrian to perceive a particular stimulus. This may be an oncoming vehicle or a traffic signal, depending on the type of pedestrian crossing being studied. Little research has been developed in relation to the quantification of the effect of different crossing infrastructures as well as other phenomena
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