Traffic signals affecting pedestrian safety

 TRAFFIC SIGNALS AFFECTING PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

It has been observed that most pedestrian accidents in built-up areas occur at intersections. The "Traffic Conflicts Technique" is used to examine risk to pedestrians at intersections. 

• It has been observed that reduction in speed reduces the pedestrian's risk
• A "zebra crossing" located less than 2m from the intersection increases the pedestrian safety
• The collected data must distinguish between accidents occurring during pedestrians walking against red light and green light
• An exclusive pedestrian signal phase was found to be extremely safety-beneficial. However, such traffic signals meant exclusively for pedestrians are possible only in small towns with a very low population
• Pedestrians crossing a road running with heavy traffic is influenced heavily by size of the town and traffic volume
• Short waiting times and police enforcement are the most efficient measures to reduce frequency of red-walking