PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS. IN: HUMAN FACTORS IN TRAFFIC SAFETY

Traffic safety requires moving both vehicle and pedestrians safely, often at the same time, yet accident statistics indicate otherwise. Contributing to the deaths and injuries of thousands of pedestrians each year are human error and risky behavior on the part of both pedestrians and vehicle operators. Especially vulnerable appear to be the elderly pedestrian due to slower walking speeds, reduced attention and difficulty judging distances and speeds of oncoming vehicles. Young children are equally at risk as they are poor at assessing roadway hazards. Another road user group at high risk due to their vulnerabilty as well as their frequent failure to follow the rules of the road are bicyclists, Additional problems identified include left turning collisions and nighttime accidents. Identified are several possible countermeasures, including the recently available Intelligent Transportation Systems.