Study on influence of walking experience on traffic safety attitudes and values among foreign residents in Japan

Abstract

The most vulnerable user in road space is still an ordinary pedestrian even though the top fatalities by traffic mode differ in countries. Thus, prioritizing/protecting vulnerable road users is essential to improve road safety. People's safety perceptions toward vulnerable users are strongly associated with surrounding elements and their own experiences, especially as pedestrians. Therefore the attitude and values toward vulnerable users would vary due to culture and customs related to walking in each country. This study examines how a walking experience change reflects people with diverse backgrounds' traffic safety attitudes by conducting an online questionnaire survey for foreigners living in Japan for five years or less. As a result, 75% of respondents walk more frequently due to increased public transportation usage. For all the respondents, the increase in the walking frequency also drives the shift in the attitude toward vulnerable users and the values regarding travel safety and comfort indirectly intermediated by the shift in attitudes toward walkability, applying structural equation modeling. To focus on the structure of the shift according to nationality, people from Southeast/South Asia, where motorcyclists are the top fatalities in the road space and somehow regarded as vulnerable road users, the increased walking experience contributes significantly to the improvement of awareness of vulnerable road users and to the formation of safety and comfort values. Regarding people from Europe/North America, although their walking frequency increases after coming to Japan, there is a static causal relationship that does not influence their attitude toward walkability or safety and comfort values. Additionally, they already have an attitude of protecting/prioritizing pedestrians and placing more importance on safety and comfort. At the same time, people from Southeast/South lacks the attitude toward pedestrians due to much less frequency of walking in daily life. It suggests that establishing safe and having comfortable pedestrian spaces and public transport in developing countries where traffic infrastructure is at the development stage will encourage people to walk and likely help foster an attitude of placing importance on safety.