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Pedestrians

Pedestrians are vulnerable road users. In many countries, collisions with pedestrians are a leading cause of death and injury. In some countries, over half of all road deaths are caused by collisions between vehicles and pedestrians.

Pedestrians are struck by vehicles in a number of situations, including while:

  • Trying to cross the road.
  • Walking along the roadside, or on the road.
  • Playing or working on the road.
  • On driveways or footpaths.
  • While boarding or leaving public transport vehicles.

Pedestrians can also be struck by bicycles.

The severity of pedestrian crashes is strongly dependent on the speed of traffic. Research shows that the chances of a pedestrian surviving an impact with a motorised vehicle reduces dramatically above 30 km/h, and even at lower speeds than this, serious harm can be caused, especially to elderly or child pedestrians.

Typical factors which may add to pedestrian crash risk include:

Name Cost rating Effectiveness
Central Hatching Low 10 – 25%
Parking Improvements Low to Medium 10 – 25%
Pedestrian Crossing – Grade Separation High 60% or more
Pedestrian Crossing – Signalised Medium 25 – 40%
Pedestrian Crossing – Unsignalised Low 25 – 40%
Pedestrian Fencing Low 25 – 40%
Pedestrian Footpath Low to Medium 40 – 60%
Pedestrian Refuge Island Low to Medium 25 – 40%
Restrict/Combine Direct Access Points Medium to High 25 – 40%
School Zones Low to Medium 10 – 25%
Service Road High 25 – 40%
Paved Shoulder Medium 25 – 40%
Sight Distance (obstruction removal) Low to Medium 25 – 40%
Speed Management Medium 25 – 40%
Street Lighting Medium 10 – 25%
Traffic Calming Medium to High 25 – 40%
  • A child pedestrian crash. Image credit: iStock
  • A pedestrian crash. Image credit: iStock
  • A pedestrian hit by a car. Image credit: iStock
  • A road crash victim in Bangladesh. Image credit: Greg Smith
  • A vehicle-pedestrian crash. Image credit: 'Speed Kills' advertisement, Department for Transport, UK
  • Pedestrian Star Ratings by road user type based on a 358,000km sample of roads across 54 countries. Image credit: iRAP
  • Pedestrian crossing busy multilane road in China. Image credit: Greg Smith
  • Pedestrians cross busy multilane road underneath a pedestrian bridge in China. Image Credit: Greg Smith
  • The aftermath of a car hitting a pedestrian. Image credit: iStock
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