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Pedestrians
At some point in every journey on the road everyone is a pedestrian. Apart from walking, pedestrians may also use wheelchairs, motorized scooters, walkers, canes, skateboards, and roller blades. People who are running, jogging or hiking, or standing on the road are also pedestrians.
Travel as a pedestrian is an active and sustainable form of transport. In some cases, travel as a pedestrian may comprise the entire journey, in others it may comprise just part of the journey, such as walking to and from bus stops. There are many reasons that people want to travel as pedestrians, such as to go to school or work, to access other forms of transport, to visit markets or friends and family, and for recreation.
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.
High quality pedestrian environments are conducive to safe and sustainable pedestrian activity. Where traffic speeds are high, footpaths are missing or inaccessible, or where pedestrian crossings are inadequate, there is either less pedestrian activity or there is higher numbers of pedestrian deaths and serious injuries when people have no choice but to walk. High quality pedestrian environments are also essential for public transport.
Some populations may be at a higher risk of pedestrian crashes. Children and the elderly are often overrepresented in road crashes and so pedestrian environments around schools and where there are elderly people need special attention.
Case Studies
Name | Cost rating | Effectiveness |
---|---|---|
Central Hatching | Low | 10 – 25% |
Intersection – Signalise | Medium | 25 – 40% |
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% |
Regulate Roadside Commercial Activity | Low to Medium | 10 – 25% |
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% |
Skid Resistance | Low to Medium | 25 – 40% |
Speed Management | Medium | 25 – 40% |
Street Lighting | Medium | 10 – 25% |
Traffic Calming | Medium to High | 25 – 40% |
Name | Cost rating | Effectiveness |
---|---|---|
New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) | – | – |
Name | Cost rating | Effectiveness |
---|---|---|
Addressing Alcohol and Other Drugs | – | – |
Education | – | – |
Emergency Response | – | – |
Enforcement | – | – |
Publicity | – | – |
Safe Speed | – | – |
Related Images
- Photo credit: RdA SuissenVarious road users
- Photo credit: RdA SuissenVarious road users
- Photo credit: RdA SuissenVarious road users
- A pedestrian crossing facility with refuge island in Ghana. Image credit: John Fletcher, TRL
- A potential crash involving mother and child pedestriansnImage credit: iStock
- A raised pedestrian crossing
- A raised pedestrian crossing with kerbed build-out in this school zone is an effective traffic calming measure whilst providing a safe place to cross. Brisbane, Australia
- A signalised pedestrian crossing in Oviedo, Spain. Image credit: iRAP
- Bollard protect a sidewalk - ChinanImage credit: iRAP
- Busy pedestrian crossingnImage credit: iStock
- A child sits on the road
- Children crossing a roadnImage credit: iStock
- Road passing through a rural town in India. The section has commercial road side activities and high presence of pedestrians.
- A low-cost and easy to implement pedestrian footpath in Kampala, Uganda. Even simple footpaths like this one have the potential to significantly improve safety for pedestrians
- Exclusive bicycle lane and pedestrian footpath in New Delhi,India.rnImage credit: iRAP
- Exclusive bicycle lane and pedestrian footpath in New Delhi India 4
- Pedestrians in IndianImage Credit: iRAP
- Informal sidewalk in UzbekistannImage credit: NACU
- Pedestrian Star Ratings by road user type based on a 358,000km sample of roads across 54 countries. Image credit: iRAP
- Children walk along a roadnImage credit: N Zwarg
- Signalised pedestrian crossing in Kazakhstan
- Children crossing a road
- Long pedestrian bridge with limited access in the PhilippinesnImage credit: Alina Burlacu
- Marked pedestrian crossing facility (Zebra marking)rnImage credit: Alain Rouiller
- Pedestrian crossing - Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamnImage Credit: iRAP
- Pedestrian crossing in New York USAnImage Credit: iRAP
- Pedestrian crossing in Tokyo, JapannImage Credit: iRAP
- Pedestrian fencing, China
- Pedestrian footbridge, Roxas Blvd, Manila, Philippines
- Pedestrian footover bridge in IndianImage credit: iRAP
- Pedestrian refuge island (overrunable) in Kathmandu. Image credit: Allan Jones
- Pedestrians in London, England UKnImage Credit: iRAP
- Pedestrians in Tianjin, ChinanImage Credit: iRAP
- Pedestrians cross busy multilane road underneath a pedestrian bridge in ChinanImage Credit: iRAP
- Pedestrians cross a busy road in IndianImage credit: iRAP
- Pedestrians in ChinanImage credit: iRAP
- Pedestrians in Ha Noi, Viet Nam. Photo courtesy of Greg Smith, iRAP.jpg
- Pedestrians in IndianImage credit: iRAP
- Pedestrians in TanzanianImage credit: Alina Burlacu
- Pedestrian on a city road in IndonesianImage credit: iRAP
- Pedestrians walking on informal footpath along a rural road in India. Image credit: iRAP
- Pedestrians wait for a bus in BangladeshnImage credit: iRAP
- Pedestrians walk along a road in BangladeshnImage credit: iRAP
- Pedestrians walk along a road in IndianImage credit: Alina Burlacu
- Pedestrians walk on the road because of an obstructed sidewalk - ChinanImage credit: iRAP
- Pedestrians walking in the road despite the presence of a footpath in New Delhi, India. Image credit: iRAP
- Pedestrians in Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamnImage Credit: iRAP
- Pedestrians in Tianjin, ChinanImage Credit: iRA
- Pedestrians in Tokyo, JapannImage Credit: iRAP
- People walk along a busy road with no sidewalknImage credit: iStock
- Physical channelisation (and planting) under the flyover to provide a safe refuge for pedestrians to cross the road in two stages
- Public Transport in BangladeshnImage credit: iRAP
- Raised (table-top type) pedestrian crossing facility.rnImage credit: Alain Rouiller
- Raised pedestrian crossing facility in China
- School zone crossing supervisor, Camp Hill, QLD
- Shared street_Tokyo
- Sidewalk in ChinanImage credit: iRAP
- Sidewalk in ChinanImage credit: iRAP
- Sidewalk in Shanghai, ChinanImage Credit: iRAP
- Simple pedestrian footpath in a semi-urban area of New Zealand. Photo courtesy of iRAP
- Narrow sidewalk
- Traffic calming and pedestrian crossing. Image credit: RdA Suissen Photo credit: RdA SuissenVarious road users"







