PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IN PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS AT NIGHT

RESULTS OF STUDIES OF PEDESTRIAN RISK IN OR NEAR PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS, MAINLY IN COPENHAGEN, ARE COMPARED WITH CORRESPONDING RESULTS FROM CITIES IN ENGLAND, AND SHOW REMARKABLE SIMILARITIES. IN COPENHAGEN AS IN LONDON SIGNAL- CONTROLLED CROSSINGS HAVE LOW RISK VALUES, WHILE STREET SECTIONS NEAR CROSSINGS HAVE VERY HIGH RISK VALUES. THERE IS A FAIRLY LARGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DAYLIGHT DURATION IN MID-SUMMER AND MID-WINTER IN DENMARK. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT DRY--DARK CONDITIONS INCREASE PEDESTRIAN RISK ABOUT 30%, WHILE WET--DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS INCREASE PEDESTRIAN RISK ABOUT 100%. THESE RESULTS COME FROM MAIN ARTERIALS IN DANISH PROVINCIAL CITIES. THE EFFECTS OF INSTALLING SPECIAL LIGHTING ON ZEBRA CROSSINGS ARE EVALUATED. TECHNICAL DETAILS ARE GIVEN OF THIS SYSTEM, WHICH LOCAL OFFICIALS HAVE NAMED THE COPENHAGEN SYSTEM. PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT DATA FROM COPENHAGEN STREETS DURING 1968 SHOW THAT THE COPENHAGEN SYSTEM HAS A MUCH BETTER DARKNESS/DAYLIGHT RELATION THAN SIGNAL-CONTROLLED CROSSINGS. IN DRY WEATHER THERE IS NO SPECIAL DARKNESS EFFECT, WHILE A QUITE STRONG EFFECT PERSISTS IN SIGNAL-CONTROLLED CROSSINGS. BASED ON THE 1968 DATA IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 1/3 OF THE PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS IN THE ZEBRA CROSSINGS AT NIGHT WERE REMOVED BY THE COPENHAGEN SYSTEM. /HSRI/

• Corporate Authors:

  Radet Trafiksikkerhedsforskning /Den

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Jorgensen, N O
  • Rabani, Z
• Publication Date: 1971

Media Info

• Features: Photos; References; Tables;

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash rates; Crosswalks; Lighting; Moisture content; Night; Pedestrian vehicle crashes; Pedestrians; Traffic signals
• Uncontrolled Terms: Wet conditions
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221792
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 19 1973 12:00AM