Development of a Systematic Methodology to Enhance the Safety of Vulnerable Road Users in Developing Countries

Vulnerable road users (VRU) such as pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists, account for more than half of total road traffic fatalities in developing countries. In urban India, VRU consist of more than 80% of the fatalities. Although in Indian cities, the share of VRU is considerably high, suitable VRU-friendly facilities are not efficiently planned. In this context, the present paper aims to develop a systematic approach to enhance VRU safety at the urban intersection level in the context of a developing country. Using 6 years’ crash data (2011–2016) from “Kolkata Police”, India, the applicability of the present research framework is demonstrated. To examine the major risk factors associated with pedestrians, motorcyclists, and non-motorized transport users (NMT: bicycle, cycle-rickshaw, and hand-pull carts), three sets of crash prediction models are developed with the help of Poisson and negative binomial analysis. The study outcome reveals that vehicle volume and speed, inadequate sight distance, and the absence of designated bus stops significantly affect the likelihood of fatal pedestrian crashes. Alternatively, overspending and overtaking behavior by motorcyclists, and restricted sight distance increase the fatality risk of motorcyclists. Speed inconsistency between motorized and non-motorized vehicles, insufficient street lighting, and inadequate sight distance increase the risk of NMT users. The overall study outcomes specify the need for segregation between motorized traffic and VRU at urban intersections by providing dedicated lanes for VRU along with suitable crossing facilities; implementing signalization with a distinct phase for VRU. The study also highlights the importance of speed management measures in urban India.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1007/s40890-022-00165-4
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/21999287
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © Dipanjan Mukherjee and Sudeshna Mitra, under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.
• Authors:
  • Mukherjee, Dipanjan
  • 0000-0002-6318-1414
  • Mitra, Sudeshna
• Publication Date: 2022-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: 28
• Serial:
  • Transportation in Developing Economies
  • Volume: 8
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Springer International Publishing
  • ISSN: 2199-9287
  • Serial URL: http://link.springer.com/journal/40890

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash risk forecasting; Developing countries; Highway safety; Predictive models; Vulnerable road users
• Geographic Terms: India
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01852879
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 25 2022 5:33PM