Assessing key engineering treatments addressing major pedestrian serious casualties in Victoria, Australia

Pedestrian injury and mortality are a global issue, with more than 270,000 pedestrians killed worldwide each year. In Victoria, 249 road fatalities were reported in 2014, 18% of which were pedestrians. These statistics convinced the Victorian road safety partners to develop a major program to reduce the number of severe pedestrian casualties. One of the main challenges in development of pedestrian safety programs is selection of engineering crash treatments leading to the most effective reduction in number of pedestrian crashes. This approach relies on accurate quantification of the effectiveness of such treatments. This study conducted a literature review of the effectiveness of different pedestrian treatments in Australia and in other countries. This literature review assessed the availability and accuracy of reported crash modification factors (CMF) and/or crash reduction factors (CRF) for each treatment type. Then, four major treatment types, which have not been evaluated accurately, were selected for evaluation. These treatment types included ‘median’, ‘kerb extension’, ‘full-time fully controlled right turn signals’ and ‘part-time fully controlled right turn signals’. A quasiexperimental before-after treatment/control evaluation design was utilised to assess the effectiveness of these treatment types. Required data for treated and control sites were collected from Local Government Areas (LGAs) and VicRoads. The control sites were matched on surrounding land use, speed zones and pedestrian crash history. A log-linear Poisson model was applied to analyze the quasi-experimental road safety evaluation design. This study improves the cost-effectiveness and accuracy of pedestrian road safety treatment programs through updated and more accurate CRF/CMF values for the most effective pedestrian safety treatments. The findings will be useful to road agencies seeking to reduce incidence and severity of pedestrian casualties.

• Record URL:
  http://atrf.info/papers/2016/index.aspx
• Authors:
  • Sobhani, A
  • Jurewicz, C
  • Makwasha, T
  • Alavi, H
  • Nieuwesteeg, M
• Conference:
  • Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF), 38th, 2016, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• Publication Date: 2016-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 16p
• Monograph Title: 38th Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF 2016), Melbourne, 16th - 18th November 2016

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Highway engineering; Highways; Injuries; Literature reviews; Pedestrian areas; Pedestrians; Prevention
• Uncontrolled Terms: Crash countermeasure; Road design and asset management; Safe systems (road users)
• Geographic Terms: Australia
• ATRI Terms: Literature review; Pedestrian; Pedestrian facilities; Road engineering
• ITRD Terms: 1661: Accident prevention; 9011: Design (overall design)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01627471
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ITRD, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 27 2017 10:13AM