Evaluating the conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians

Abstract

Depending on their goals, traffic safety studies deal with systems that differ in terms of content and hierarchy. An aggregated selection of road accidents, grouped by any given features, may serve as an indicator of how the system interacts with the environment. This paper analyzes the content of expert evaluations and investigations of road accidents, and provides data that characterize the current state of the street and road network and point to the main reasons behind road accidents. We present the insights gained from the field studies of the street and road network, which include driver and pedestrian input and touch upon the current traffic patterns. We also analyze the most typical points of conflict between vehicles and pedestrians in intersection areas, as well as points of conflict that emerge when pedestrians move along the side of the road or the edge of the carriageway. This paper addresses the impact of a person’s job on traffic safety and reviews the mental and physical health aspects of the drivers’ and pedestrians’ behavior, as well as their impact on traffic safety. We provide recommendations on carrying out a comprehensive analysis of conflict situations, which will allow investigators to reconstruct the circumstances of a road accident.