How Safe are Pedestrians in a Marked Crosswalk? An Observational Analysis
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Psychology
Minor
Business Administration
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Michael Bordieri, PhD
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
On average, a pedestrian dies every 2 hours and is injured every 8 minutes in an accident involving a motor vehicle (NHTSA, 2015). To reduce injury, or even death, it is important that interventions be introduced to areas where there are heavy pedestrian and motorist traffic. Before being able to intervene, it is important to better understand pedestrian and motor vehicle interactions. To determine problem areas and potential causes of accidents, an observational study of a crosswalk that experiences heavy pedestrian and motorist traffic on a college campus was conducted. Over the period of several months, over 2,300 vehicles crossing through the crosswalk were observed. Obtained results suggest that most motorists (75%) did not encounter a pedestrian in the crosswalk, and that most who did yielded effectively (82%). However, 17% of motorist interactions with pedestrians involved failing to yield, and three near miss incidences were observed. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between the amount of traffic present and proper yielding, suggesting that higher amounts of traffic lead to higher yield rates. Possible variables maintaining failing to yield will be discussed with an emphasis on implications for pedestrian safety interventions.
Affiliations
Psychology: Completed Projects
How Safe are Pedestrians in a Marked Crosswalk? An Observational Analysis
On average, a pedestrian dies every 2 hours and is injured every 8 minutes in an accident involving a motor vehicle (NHTSA, 2015). To reduce injury, or even death, it is important that interventions be introduced to areas where there are heavy pedestrian and motorist traffic. Before being able to intervene, it is important to better understand pedestrian and motor vehicle interactions. To determine problem areas and potential causes of accidents, an observational study of a crosswalk that experiences heavy pedestrian and motorist traffic on a college campus was conducted. Over the period of several months, over 2,300 vehicles crossing through the crosswalk were observed. Obtained results suggest that most motorists (75%) did not encounter a pedestrian in the crosswalk, and that most who did yielded effectively (82%). However, 17% of motorist interactions with pedestrians involved failing to yield, and three near miss incidences were observed. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between the amount of traffic present and proper yielding, suggesting that higher amounts of traffic lead to higher yield rates. Possible variables maintaining failing to yield will be discussed with an emphasis on implications for pedestrian safety interventions.