Strategies to promote pedestrian safety from the viewpoints of traffic and transport stakeholders in a developing country: A mixed-method study

Abstract

IntroductionPedestrians are among the most vulnerable groups in traffic accidents. The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies associated with pedestrian safety from the perspective of traffic and transport stakeholders. MethodsIn 2018, this mixed-method study with an explanatory design was conducted in two phases: a quantitative cross-sectional study (the first phase) was conducted among 508 residents in Tabriz, Iran. The valid and reliable Pedestrian Safety Behaviors (PSB) scale was used to collect data through self-report. In the second phase, the quantitative results were presented to twenty-four urban traffic and transport stakeholders during individual interviews (as the qualitative phase) to explore the strategies to promote the safety behaviors of pedestrians. The qualitative data were analyzed applying the conventional content analysis approach. FindingsIn the quantitative phase, the residents acquired more than 62% of the maximum possible score in all constructs. Among all the domains, aggressive behaviors (85.6%), distractive behaviors (77.2%), violation (21.56%), and PSBs (70.5%) were found with the highest scores. Age, gender, and educational level were significant predictors of safety pedestrians' behaviors (p ≤ 0.001). In the qualitative phase, the strategies to promote pedestrian safety were explored and grouped into four main categories: building public education policies on traffic safety, developing traffic safety infrastructure, improving the traffic management system, and strengthening urban traffic safety legislation. ConclusionOur findings provided strategies to promote pedestrian safety for urban traffic and transport systems of developing countries with specific complexities, particularly in the management system. The mixed-method approach used in the present study was helpful in identifying the most relevant strategies for promoting safe behaviors of pedestrians in Iran, as a developing country. These strategies may be considered while traffic safety policy-making and/or designing pedestrian safety promotion programs within urban environments. The strategies reported here may pertain not only to the Iranian community but also to other potential sectors in developing countries that have the responsibility of providing pedestrians with a safe roadway environment.