TOWARD VISION ZERO AT ZEBRA CROSSINGS: CASE STUDY OF TRAFFIC SAFETY AND MOBILITY FOR CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY, MALMO, SWEDEN

The Swedish Vision Zero's goal is to eliminate all fatalities and incapacitating traffic injuries. One step toward Vision Zero is through traffic calming. Code changes are also part of this effort. The Swedish Code concerning car drivers' responsibility to give way to pedestrians was strengthened in 2000. A study was done to evaluate the short-term effects of the change in the code, as well as of the reconstruction of urban intersections to eliminate overtaking and speeding over 30 km/h. The focus of the evaluation was on children and elderly people, as pedestrians and cyclists. Between 1995 and 1999, an average of 7 pedestrians were killed and about 60 seriously injured at unsignalized zebra crossings. In 2001, those numbers were 8 and 70, respectively, despite the fact that some crosswalks were eliminated in connection with the change of the code. The conclusion is that the change of code has not improved safety. Field studies in Malmo in regard to behavior, speed, and conflicts, as well as analysis of crash data, show that the code change has increased mobility for cyclists, whereas motor vehicle speeds did not change significantly. The reconstruction increased mobility further and, at least based on indirect measures, improved safety. Also, safe traffic behavior, expressed as one's looking sideways, increased somewhat at the reconstructed intersections, but stopping at the curb before crossing the street decreased. Children and the elderly did not benefit more than people in other age groups.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/1828-08
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=TOWARD+VISION+ZERO+AT+ZEBRA+CROSSINGS%3a+CASE+STUDY+OF+TRAFFIC+SAFETY+AND+MOBILITY+FOR+CHILDREN+AND+THE+ELDERLY%2c+MALMO%2c+SWEDEN&author=C.+JOHANSSON&author=P.+Garder&author=L.+LEDEN&publication_year=2003
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Public/Blurbs/153109.aspx
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1828, Pedestrians and Bicycles 2003.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • JOHANSSON, C
  • Garder, P
  • LEDEN, L
• Publication Date: 2003

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 67-74
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1828
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged; Behavior; Case studies; Children; Crash data; Cyclists; Field studies; Intersections; Mobility; Pedestrians; Reconstruction; Traffic calming; Traffic conflicts; Traffic regulations; Traffic safety; Traffic speed; Zebra crossings
• Geographic Terms: Malmo (Sweden)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00962828
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309085616
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 10 2003 12:00AM