Pedestrian Injuries Research Articles

Методика расчета риска получения травм при реконструкции дорожно-транспортных происшествий с участием пешеходов

At present, in road traffic examinations (RTE) carried out in the Russian Federation, there are no modern comprehensive studies, scientific and practical solutions and methods which would be dedicated to assessing the risk of obtaining injuries of varying severity by road traffic participants. In contrast to injury assessment in the development of passive safety measures, injury indices in practice are not used in RTE, which leads to a lack of categorical conclusions in a number of expert tasks. The purpose of this study is to define a methodological approach to the solution of specialized tasks of road traffic accident examination and expert prevention of road traffic accidents in general related to the assessment of the risk of pedestrian injury in a road traffic accident. The article presents the analysis results of road traffic accident examinations. The methodology for evaluating the risk of pedestrian injuries in primary and secondary injuries (when being hit by the vehicle and when falling on the roadway) is outlined. The ways of this methodology`s further use in the practice of road traffic accident examinations, as well as in the development of measures within the expert prevention of traffic accidents, are shown.

Analysis of the Elderly Pedestrian Injury Severity in Urban Traffic Accidents in Spain using Machine Learning Techniques

Analysis of the Elderly Pedestrian Injury Severity in Urban Traffic Accidents in Spain using Machine Learning Techniques

Parameters influencing pedestrian injury and severity – A systematic review and meta-analysis

Pedestrians account for 26% of all traffic fatalities worldwide. According to in-depth collision databases, around 3500 variables can affect the outcome of a collision, making it crucial to establish the relationship between each variable and the outcome. To date, there is no method defined to assess these variables' relevance other than a statistical correlation, which can sometimes lead to reasonable conclusions, but only under specific circumstances. This article addresses this issue by first conducting a literature review to determine all relevant variables, followed by developing a variable selection criterion to select crucial variables, and then conducting a meta-analysis to quantify these relationships. Epidemiological studies published between 1990 and 2022 were examined, including 93 papers from 19 different nations that considered 904,655 pedestrian collisions. Of the 204 variables that were extracted from these studies, 152 were examined using the variable selection criterion, and 68 were found to be significant. Of these, 20 were included in the meta-analysis, which combined odds ratios to aggregate the effect of a variable across various studies, thus removing study-specific conclusions. This study makes a compelling argument that using statistical correlation by itself is insufficient to determine a variable's significance. The proposed method is an objective way to distinguish the variables for stakeholders and identify their relevance. This study offers a definitive list of the 15 characteristics that must be present in any pedestrian-to-vehicle collision databases, as well as a list of 53 variables that require additional investigation, allowing for appropriate actions for safer roads.

Latent Class Cluster Analysis and Mixed Logit Model to Investigate Pedestrian Crash Injury Severity

Traffic crashes involving pedestrians have a high frequency in developing countries. Among road users, pedestrians are the most vulnerable, as their involvement in traffic crashes is usually followed by severe and fatal injuries. This study aims to identify pedestrian crash patterns and reveal the random parameters in the dataset. A three-year (2015–2017) pedestrian crash dataset in Mashhad, Iran, was employed to investigate the influence of a rich set of factors on pedestrian injury severity, some of which have been less accounted for in previous studies (e.g., the vicinity to overpasses, the existence of vegetated buffers, and park lanes). A two-step method integrating latent class cluster analysis (LCA) and the mixed logit model was utilized to consider unobserved heterogeneity. The results demonstrated that various factors related to the pedestrian, vehicle, temporal, environmental, roadway, and built-environment characteristics are associated with pedestrian injuries. Furthermore, it was found that integrated use of LCA and mixed logit models can considerably reduce the unobserved heterogeneity and uncover the hidden effects influencing severity outcomes, leading to a more profound perception of pedestrian crash causation. The findings of this research can act as a helpful resource for implementing effective strategies by policymakers to reduce pedestrian casualties.

OUTDOOR FALLS PREVENTION: PROMOTING SAFETY IN URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS

Abstract Outdoor falls present a significant challenge to the well-being of community dwelling older adults. There are a number of existing evidence-based programs that address fall risk, including multifactorial and exercise-based programs. However, despite the difference in risk factors for indoor and outdoor falls, no existing program specifically targets outdoor falls. To fill this gap, the Stroll Safe program was developed and refined based on a prior feasibility study. The 7-week group-based manualized program is focused on promoting safe behavioral strategies to reduce the risk of outdoor falls. In addition to presentations and community mobility coaching by the group leader, an occupational therapist, the program includes group discussion and problem solving, capitalizing on the life experiences of participants. Action planning facilitates implementation of the strategies discussed. Given that the neighborhood environment impacts both risk and fear of falling, a walkability audit (i.e. the SWAN) focused on environmental hazards is included and is used to promote awareness of hazards and as a tool for self-advocacy. Data science and machine learning facilitate the creation of resources for route planning. Vision Zero resources help to identify hotspots for pedestrian injuries, and a map of shadow is used to create a user friendly map of potential hotspots for black ice. In this symposium, we will present 1) Findings from the efficacy trial for Stroll Safe, and 2) Describe data science research that can be used to inform outdoor falls prevention programs.

One-year impact of a multicomponent, street-level design intervention in Mexico City on pedestrian crashes: a quasi-experimental study

BackgroundMexico City implemented the Pasos Seguros programme to prevent pedestrian injuries and deaths at dangerous road intersections, which included street-level design changes, such as visible pedestrian crossings, sidewalk widening, refuge...

Modeling pedestrian injury severity in pedestrian-vehicle crashes considering different land use patterns: Mixed logit approach

Objective The objective of this study is to identify and compare the contributing factors to pedestrian injury severity in pedestrian-vehicle crashes considering different land use patterns. Methods The pedestrian-vehicle crash data from 2007 to 2018 were collected from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). A total number of 15,807 observations with 72 categorical variables were included in the final dataset. Two mixed logit models were developed to analyze the crash dataset with segmentations of two dominant land use areas (i.e., residential and commercial). Fixed and random parameters were found in both models. Estimation results and marginal effects of significant explanatory variables were investigated. Results In general, the residential model has 24 fixed parameters and 3 random parameters. The commercial model has 31 fixed parameters and 3 random parameters. According to the estimated results, elder or drunk factors are found to have more impacts on severe injuries in residential areas. Large and mid-size vehicles increase the probability of severe injuries in commercial areas. The marginal effect values for severe injury at non-intersections have opposite signs in the two models. Besides, speed limits between 40 and 45 mph and factors related to poor visibility are more likely to result in severe pedestrian injuries. Coarse asphalt pavement can reduce the probability of severe pedestrian injuries. Conclusions This study investigated the pedestrian injury severity in pedestrian-vehicle crashes considering two types of land use using a mixed logit approach. Based on the discussions of factors contributing to the pedestrian injury severity, policies and countermeasures to improve traffic safety are suggested. Above all, a mixed-use land development policy is recommended. Other suggestions are summarized below: (1) giving more considerations to older pedestrians when planning and designing residential areas; (2) strengthening laws and education against drunk driving and even drunk walking on/across the roadways; (3) increasing the frequency of the patrols and alcohol tests; (4) improving lighting conditions and road alignments; (5) establishing a limited-truck-passing-period policy especially in commercial areas; and (6) improving the pavement conditions wherever needed.

EGS P01 The diurnal and seasonal relationships of pedestrian injuries secondary to motor vehicles in young people

Abstract Background There remains a significant morbidity and mortality in young pedestrians hit by motor vehicles, even in the era of pedestrian crossings and speed limits. The aim of this study was to compare incidence and injury severity of motor vehicle-related pedestrian trauma according to time of day and season in a young population, based on the supposition that injuries would be more prevalent during dusk and dawn and during autumn and winter. Methods Data was retrieved for patients between 10–25 years old from the national Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) database, who had been involved as pedestrians in motor vehicle accidents between 2015–2020. The incidence of injuries, their severity (using the Injury Severity Score [ISS]), hospital transfer time and mortality were analysed according to the hours of daylight, darkness and season. Results The study identified a seasonal pattern, showing that autumn was the predominant season and lead to 34.9% of injuries, with a further 25.4% in winter in comparison to spring and summer, with 21.4% and 18.3% of injuries respectively. However, visibility alone was not a sufficient factor as 49.5% of injuries occurred during time of darkness, while 50.5% occurred during daylight. Importantly, the greatest injury rate (number of injuries/hour) occurred between 1500–1630 correlating to school pick up times. A further significant relationship between injury severity score (ISS) and daylight was demonstrated (p-value= 0.0124) with moderate injuries (ISS 9–14) occurring most commonly during the day (72.7%) and more severe injuries (ISS>15) occurred during the night (55.8%). Conclusions We have identified a relationship between time of day and the frequency and severity of pedestrian trauma in young people. In addition, particular time groupings correspond to the greatest injury rate, suggesting that reduced visibility coupled with school pick up times may play a significant role . This could be addressed through a targeted public health approach to implement change. We recommend targeted public health measures to improve road safety that focus on these times and that increase the visibility of children combined with education for drivers.

SIMULATION OF CAR-PEDESTRIAN CRASH: INJURY ASSESSMENT AND IMPACT POSITIONS

In car-pedestrian collisions, pedestrian fatal injuries account for a great number of health risks in the world. A real-world accident case with a medical examination record would improve the reliability of simulation of car-pedestrian accidents but is rarely captured. The goal of this report was to assess the pedestrian injuries, and impact positions. A case of a pedestrian impacted by a car traveling at a speed of 22 km/hr was simulated using the MAthematical DYnamic MOdel (MADYMO) program. The results showed that Abbreviated Injury Score one (AIS1) head injury and Abbreviated Injury Score two (AIS2) toe fracture are caused by pedestrian impact with windshield and wheel. The maximum head linear acceleration and right foot force that led to head injuries and toe fractures are 1688.61 m/s2 and 15799.00 N, respectively. The results obtained in terms of head impact location, left forearm impact, and the right foot impact positions are comparable with the real-world road accident. This report can help in the future design of automobiles that are friendly to vulnerable pedestrians.

A latent class multinomial logit analysis of factors associated with pedestrian injury severity of inter-urban highway crashes

Over the years, the uncontrolled interaction of human and high-speed vehicular activities at settlement areas along highways in Ghana has resulted in many pedestrian fatalities and injuries. This phenomenon has been attributed to the land-use and right-of-way planning and lack of pedestrian crossing facilities for safe crossing of highways. The slow response to developing strategies to reduce pedestrian fatalities along the nation’s highways has led to many public protests. To advance a data-driven and evidence-based approach to finding appropriate countermeasures, this study investigated the factors associated with pedestrian injury outcomes of inter-urban highway crashes in Ghana. Latent class multinomial logit modeling method was employed to account for unobserved heterogeneity in a five-year pedestrian-vehicle crash data recorded on highways in Ghana. The model estimation results show that speeding, hit and run and crashes that involve buses were more likely to result in fatal injury while crashes that occurred at highway sections with no shoulder were more likely to result in hospitalized injury. The findings of the study provide basis for the development of appropriate countermeasures to reduce the number of pedestrian deaths and injuries on high-speed inter-urban highways in Ghana and other countries with similar characteristics in the sub-region.

Cost–benefit analysis of a distracted pedestrian intervention

ObjectiveCellphone ubiquity has increased distracted pedestrian behaviour and contributed to growing pedestrian injury rates. A major barrier to large-scale implementation of prevention programmes is unavailable information on potential monetary benefits....

Someone to Watch Over You: Using Bluetooth Beacons for Alerting Distracted Pedestrians.

In the United States, an estimated 7,005 (crude rate 2.13) pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This statistic is currently increasing annually and research suggests that distraction by smartphones may be a primary reason for the increasing number of pedestrian injuries and deaths. Timely interruptions may alert inattentive pedestrians and prevent fatalities. To this end, we developed StreetBit, a Bluetooth beacon-based system that warns distracted pedestrians with a visual and/or audible interruption when they approach a potentially dangerous traffic intersection while distracted by their smartphones. We posit that by using StreetBit, we can educate distracted pedestrians and elicit behavioral change to reduce or remove smartphone-based distractions when they enter and cross roadways. To demonstrate the feasibility of StreetBit, we conducted a field study with 385 participants. Results show that the system demonstrates adequate feasibility and behavior change in response to the StreetBit program.

Association Between Australasian New Car Assessment Program Pedestrian Ratings and Injury Severity in Real-Life Crashes in Different Speed Limit Areas

Some New Car Assessment Programs (NCAPs) include pedestrian safety ratings based on crash tests. We compared 2,682 real-world Australasian pedestrian injury outcomes with pedestrian safety ratings provided by the Australasian NCAP within the speed limit areas where the collisions occurred. We found that the risk of a pedestrian fatal or severe (involving hospital treatment) injury was considerably reduced for the safest rated vehicles studied, but only in speed limit areas of 40km/h or less. From the perspective of promoting a safer system for pedestrians, these results imply that both lowered speed limits and a safer vehicle fleet are required.

Trends in child pedestrian motor vehicle collision injury rates by neighborhood deprivation score in Toronto, Canada

We examined trends from 2000 to 2019 in child pedestrian motor vehicle collision (PMVC) injury rates in Toronto, Canada, to see if injury trends varied by neighbourhood deprivation. This 20-year period was associated with major road safety policy changes in the City. A Poisson regression analysis examined police-reported data on children (age 1–19 years), killed or seriously injured (KSI) PMVC rates, by deprivation status (using the Ontario Marginalization Index), over the period 2000–2019. Models controlled for location (urban core v. inner suburbs) and evaluated potential interactions. There were 523 child pedestrian KSI collisions from 2000 to 2019. Over this period, KSI rates decreased by more than 50 % across all neighbourhood deprivation levels. Steep declines from 2000 to 2010 were followed by level or increasing child PMVC rates from 2010 to 2019. Higher deprivation was associated with slightly elevated KSI rates; although not statistically significant. It is important to learn from road safety policy “successes” and ensure that future road safety interventions are applied equitably across areas, accounting for deprivation and location.

How distraction affects pedestrian response: Evidence from behavior patterns and cortex oxyhemoglobin changes

ObjectivesDistracted walking is a major cause of pedestrian road traffic injuries, but little is known about how distraction affects pedestrian safety. The study was designed to explore how visual and auditory distraction might influence pedestrian safety. MethodsThree experiments were conducted to explore causal mechanisms from two theoretical perspectives, increased cognitive load from the distraction task and resource competition in the same sensory modality. Pedestrians’ behavior patterns and cortex oxyhemoglobin changes were recorded while they performed a series of dual tasks. ResultsFour primary results emerged: (a) participants responded more slowly to both visual and auditory stimuli in traffic, as well as walked more slowly, while talking on the phone or text messaging compared to when undistracted or listening to music; (b) when participants completed pedestrian response tasks while distracted with a high cognitive load, their response was significantly slower and poorer than when they carried out a lower cognitive load distraction task, (c) participants had higher levels of oxy-Hb change in cortices related to visual processing and executive function while distracted with a higher cognitive load; and (d) participants' responses to traffic lights were slower and resulted in a higher activation in prefrontal cortex and occipital areas when distracted by a visual distraction task compared to when distracted with an auditory task; similarly, brain activation increased significantly in temporal areas when participants responded to an auditory car horn task compared to when they responded to visual traffic lights. ConclusionsBoth distracting cognitive load demands and the type of distraction task significantly affect young adult pedestrian performance and threaten pedestrian safety. Pedestrian injury prevention efforts should consider the effects of the type of distracting task and its cognitive demands on pedestrian safety.

PEDESTRIAN’S ACCIDENTS AND AWARENESS: A STUDY OF DHAKA CITY, BANGLADESH

Pedestrians’ accidents in developing country may have been exceedingly occurred due to more people making trips on foot. Fifty two percent of the total trips in Dhaka City are made on foot everyday. This number is significant because walking is convenient and it saves time and money for the middle income group of people. However, much attention was not paid for the pedestrian safety and record of pedestrian injuries in Dhaka City. It also reveals from the experiences that the leading causes of pedestrian-vehicle conflicts are as pedestrians always walk along the roadsides and pedestrian violate the road crossing regulations. For this, small, medium and fatal injuries of pedestrians are found now and then in the city area. Lack of awareness and least involvement of the law enforcement authority also allow pedestrian accidents in the city area. This paper tries to focus the causes and types of pedestrian accidents in Dhaka City along with different age, sex and income groups. It also tries to identify the most vulnerable city areas to the pedestrians for accident in the specific time of the day. On the other hand, the safety awareness of the road-users would also involve in the present study. This study also guides the concern authorities to think more about the design and safety considerations of the pedestrian ways and the registration system of the pedestrian injuries. This research is based on primary data from the field survey. However, secondary sources have been used to support the present scenario of pedestrian’s accidents and awareness in Dhaka city.

Pedestrian safety at urban intersections: lighting conditions is the question

Sustainable and livable cities and non-motorized transportation modes are being increasingly promoted around the world. A considerable number of studies have investigated various factors associated with the severity of pedestrian crashes. However, little attention has been paid to the particular impacts of lighting conditions. This paper aims to differentiate between different lighting conditions based on solar altitude by developing separate Generalized Ordered Probit (GOP) models for the four distinct lighting conditions (i.e. daylight, twilight, dark, and lighted) analysing pedestrian injury severity at urban intersections. The models are tested using a set of log-likelihood ratio tests, which show there are key differences in the significance of the estimates, magnitude, and even the direction of the effects of explanatory variables, in which such differences may not be revealed by calibrating one aggregate model. Notably, built environments, age, gender of both pedestrian and driver, and speed limits were found to have different impacts on the severity of the crash.

Associations between walkability and pedestrian related injuries is modified by sociodemographic characteristics

BackgroundWalkability scores have been developed to measure how well the characteristics of the physical environment support walking. However, because pedestrian safety is not taken into account, areas that have higher Walk Scores could be associated with more walking and also more pedestrian-related injury. We aimed to explore the association between Walk Score and pedestrian-related injury in Sydney. MethodPedestrian-related injuries from 2010 to 2018 in Sydney were identified in the New South Wales Combined Admitted Patient Epidemiology Data. Walk Score was used to measure area-level walkability in Sydney statistical division. Regression models were used to examine the association between Walk Score, pedestrian-related injury, length of hospital stay (LOS) and injury severity. ResultAmong people aged ≤64 years, there was no significant association between walkability score and pedestrian-related injury. Among people aged ≥ 65 years, walkability score was significantly positively associated with pedestrian-related injury, which peaked at Somewhat Walkable. For most disadvantaged areas, the risk of pedestrian-related injury was highest for areas that were classified as Somewhat Walkable. For moderately disadvantaged areas, the risk of pedestrian-related injury was highest at Very Walkable to Walker's Paradise areas. For the least disadvantaged areas, there was no significant association between walkability score and pedestrian-related injury. For LOS among people aged ≥ 65 years or in the most disadvantaged areas, it peaked at Somewhat Walkable areas. For injury severity, the risk of serious pedestrian-related injury was highest at Very Walkable to Walker's Paradise areas among people aged 16–64 years. ConclusionFor the majority of the population, built environment characteristics that are considered to make walking attractive also make it safer, offsetting any exposure-related increase injury risk. However, this is not the case for people aged ≥ 19 years, and those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Incorporating measures of pedestrian safety in walkability scores may create an impetus to ensure that the built environment is designed to support the safety of pedestrians from these groups.

Joint Effect of Heavy Vehicles and Diminished Light Conditions on Paediatric Pedestrian Injuries in Backover Crashes: A UK Population-Based Study.

Backover crashes cause considerable injuries especially among young children. Prior research on backover crashes has not assessed the joint effect of heavy vehicles and diminished light conditions on injuries. By analysing the United Kingdom STATS19 crash dataset from 1991 to 2020, this study focused on backover crashes involving paediatric cyclists or pedestrians aged ≤17 years and other motorised vehicles. By estimating the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of multiple logistic regression models, pedestrians appeared to have 82.3% (95% CI: 1.78–1.85) higher risks of sustaining killed or serious injuries (KSIs) than cyclists. In addition, casualties involved in backover crashes with heavy vehicles were 39.3% (95% CI: 1.35–1.42) more likely to sustain KSIs than those involved in crashes with personal cars. The joint effect of heavy vehicles and diminished light conditions was associated with a 71% increased probability of sustaining KSIs (AOR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.60–1.83). Other significant joint effects included young children (aged 0 to 5 years) as pedestrian (AOR = 1.92; 95% CI: 1.87–1.97), in diminished light conditions (AOR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.15–1.31), and with heavy vehicle (AOR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.28–1.47).

Pedestrian-injury severity analysis in pedestrian-vehicle crashes with familiar and unfamiliar drivers

Pedestrian injury in pedestrian-vehicle crash is significantly related to the driver, pedestrian, vehicle, crash and environment characteristics. Driver’s route familiarity has been found greatly associated with driving behaviours. Two-year pedestrian-vehicle crash data in Yunnan Province were studied to investigate the factors that affect pedestrian-injury severities in crashes with familiar and unfamiliar drivers by employing mixed logit models. Eight variables were found significant only in the familiar driver model. And six variables were found significant only in the unfamiliar driver model. Estimation findings indicate that the factors of early morning and sunny weather condition will be better modelled as random parameters in the model for familiar drivers and the same with the factors of rainy weather condition and afternoon peak in the model for unfamiliar drivers. Some more effective and targeted countermeasures are put forward for familiar drivers, unfamiliar drivers and transportation managers to reduce pedestrians’ injury severities.