Groups in pedestrian evacuation: Survey data on attitudes

Abstract

Pedestrian evacuations can occur during special events where people gather in buildings or sporting arenas. People might attend such events with friends and family. The study of pedestrian behavior has evolved with many new studies that include pedestrian group behavior within their models to help determine the relevance of groups on the overall evacuation. This paper focuses on better understanding an individual's decision-making during an evacuation when they are responsible for leading others to safety, especially regarding group composition. Data were collected using questionnaires about an evacuation scenario of a church in the USA (Norfolk, Virginia), of which there were approximately 350 parishioner respondents. Analysis of results shows several interesting results: group leaders take fewer risks and want closer group cohesion when leading groups that include vulnerable members (i.e., children, disabled adults, or older persons); male leaders, though normally risk-takers are shown to want closer group cohesion during road interactions; and leaders of vulnerable groups were shown to be less likely to search for alternative exits when faced with a congested area. The results can potentially inform pedestrian evacuation simulation models to help better depict crowd behavior.