Traffic engineering approaches to improving pedestrian safety

Spring 1999

The most vulnerable road users -- pedestrians -- are a considerable share of those injured in motor vehicle accidents. Measures designed to reduce the frequency and severity of pedestrian injuries should receive high priority. Public education and enforcement campaigns are often used to promote pedestrian safety but generally have not produced tangible and long-lasting benefits. More effective and lasting safety improvements are associated with safety-oriented planning, design, and operation of transportation facilities. This article reviews the international literature regarding urban traffic planning, transportation facility design, and traffic operations -- the primary means to ensure pedestrian safety. Innovative traffic control measures designed to increase pedestrian attention to potential danger and separate pedestrians and motor vehicles are emphasized.