PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE CRASH TYPES OF THE EARLY 1990'S

The purpose of this research was to apply the basic National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) pedestrian and bicyclist typologies to a sample of recent crashes and to refine and update the crash type distributions with particular attention to roadway and locational factors. Five thousand pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes and 3,000 bicycle-motor vehicle crashes were coded in a population-based sample drawn from the states of California, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Utah. Nearly a third of the pedestrians were struck at or near [within 16 m (50 ft) of] an intersection. Midblock events were the second major pedestrian crash type grouping, representing over a fourth (26%) of all crashes. The bicycle-motor vehicle crash types distributed as: (1) parallel paths - 36%, (2) crossing paths - 57%, and (3) specific circumstances - 6%. Most frequent parallel path crashes were motorist turn/merge into bicyclist's path (34.4% of all parallel path crashes), motorist overtaking (24.2%), and bicyclist turn/merge into motorist's path (20.6%). Most frequent crossing path crashes were motorist failed to yield (37.7% of crossing path crashes), bicyclist failed to yield at an intersection (29.1%), and bicyclist failed to yield midblock (20.5%). Future safety considerations should be systemwide and include an examination of intersections and other junctions, well designed facilities, and increased awareness of pedestrians and bicyclists by motor vehicle drivers.

• Summary URL:
  http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/pedbike/95163.cfm
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/38569
• Corporate Authors:

  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

  Highway Safety Research Center
  Chapel Hill, NC  United States  27599

  Federal Highway Administration

  Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, 6300 Georgetown Pike
  McLean, VA  United States  22101
• Authors:
  • Hunter, W W
  • Stutts, J C
  • Pein, W E
  • Cox, C L
• Publication Date: 1996-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 200 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycle crashes; Crash types; Crashes; Intersections; Midblock crossings; Pedestrian vehicle crashes
• Old TRIS Terms: Accident typology
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I81: Accident Statistics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00724996
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-RD-95-163, Research Report
• Contract Numbers: DTFH61-92-Y-30048
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 29 1996 12:00AM