Risk assessment methodologies for pedestrian crossings without traffic lights – Warsaw case study – pedestrian safety assessment

Abstract

Based on data from 2015 [1], it was found that 31% of all fatalities in road accidents in Poland were pedestrians. In places accessible to pedestrian traffic 74.2% of total accidents involving pedestrians were recorded. Approximately 53.9% of accidents involving pedestrians take place in the proximity of pedestrian crossings. In the context of improving the safety of vulnerable road users, an assessment of the condition of infrastructure in this sensitive area is very important. Warsaw took up the challenge of a comprehensive assessment of pedestrian crossings in determining the level of road safety and lighting conditions. Research covered pedestrian crossings without traffic lights in three central districts of the city. The work included field research by teams of experts analysing the geometry of pedestrian crossings, their environment and user behaviour. To complete the task, methodologies for assessing risks to pedestrian safety were developed. In this article the authors have attempted to systematise a description of the method of pedestrian safety assessment in the area of pedestrian crossings.