The night time, based on many world studies, generates an increased risk of serious accidents (with fatalities and serious injuries). This is especially true for accidents with pedestrians. Pedestrian crossings are very sensitive to the influence of the time of day in terms of pedestrian safety, elements of road infrastructure. This is visible on the example of Poland, where numerous accidents at crosswalks are recorded, characterized by high severity at night. Road infra-structure managers take corrective actions to improve this condition. An example of such work is the Road Safety Audit (RSA), initiated in 2016 by the Municipal Roads Management Board in Warsaw. The analyses carried out by the au-thors, among others, in the years 2016 - 2019, included pedestrian crossings without traffic lights located on roads managed by ZDM (Municipal Roads Authority) in twelve districts: Bemowo, Bielany, Mokotów, Ochota, Praga Połud-nie, Praga Północ, Śródmieście, Targówek, Ursynów, Wawer, Włochy, Żoliborz. The assessment was carried out in terms of the correct lighting of these passages, traffic organization, geometry and environmental impact. The main aim of the article is to present a methodology for evaluating the technical condition of road lighting infrastructure on a large scale (e.g. district, city). The article discusses the general and detailed state of pedestrian safety in Poland against the background of research conducted in Warsaw. The procedure of inspection and assessment of the state of lighting of pedestrian crossings is described and selected results are presented. On the basis of a detailed analysis of the results of individual pedestrian crossings, the general condition of the tested crossings was assessed and recommendations were indicated. An attempt was made to assess the influence of pedestrian crossings lighting on the general state of road safety. A critical evaluation of the obtained effects was made. The utilitarian aim of the article is to apply the described methodology in other cities and to use the results of the conducted analyses to plan and implement road investments in the field of modernization of lighting at pedestrian crossings on a large scale.
Abstract.One of the possible preventive measures that could improve safety at crossings is to assess the state of illumination of the lighting installation located in the transition area for pedestrians. The City of Warsaw has undertaken to comprehensively assess the pedestrian crossings to determine the level of road safety and the condition of lighting. The lighting conditions related to pedestrian crossings without traffic lights in three central districts of the city were investigated. The conducted field research and the work of the team of experts lead to the development of tools to assess the level of risk due to the lighting conditions measured at night. The newly developed and used method of assessment and the experience gained should provide a valuable contribution to the development of uniform risk assessment rules for pedestrian crossings in Poland. The authors of this paper have attempted to systematize the description of the method of evaluation of the lighting installed in the area of pedestrian crossings.
Pedestrians represent more than 30% of all of Poland’s road traffic fatalities. This is much higher than the EU average (about 20%). Pedestrian accidents are usually the result of a complex situation and a number of contributing factors involving road users, the road and roadside and the vehicle. Pedestrian accidents are caused by road user error (drivers and pedestrians) and wrong planning and design. Poorly maintained road infrastructure is also a very frequent cause. The objective of the work was to identify risks for pedestrians that involve road infrastructure and roadside and to define how selected elements of geometry and traffic layout affect driver behaviour (speed on approaching pedestrian crossings). The results have helped to formulate recommendations on pedestrian crossing design. The research included an analysis of 2013-2017 statistics to identify the circumstances and causes of pedestrian accidents. Field work at about 2, 000 unsignalized pedestrian crossings was the basis for assessing the safety of these crossings. Assessment criteria were selected and a safety classification was made with specific recommendations made for possible treatments. More field work was designed to measure speeds near pedestrian crossings in three cases: no pedestrians in the crossing area, a pedestrian is approaching a crossing, a pedestrian is waiting to cross the road. The study was conducted in different areas (city, transit roads passing through small towns, non-built-up areas) for different cross-sections (one carriageway and two lanes – 1x2, two carriageways with two or three lanes each – 2x2, 2x3, one carriageway and four lanes – 1x4). The study also looked at speed limits – 50 and 70 km/h. The share of drivers giving way to pedestrians waiting to cross was also assessed. Pedestrians were surveyed and asked about how safe they feel crossing the road. The survey also asked drivers about driver behaviour and use of speed management measures. Statistical analyses show the circumstances and causes of pedestrian accidents. These include driving across a pedestrian crossing illegally, pedestrians stepping onto the road abruptly, night-time, excessive speed and others. Pedestrian crossings are the site of more than 30% pedestrian fatalities which shows the need for treatments. By assessing the hazards caused by road infrastructure near and at pedestrian crossings, the following hazards could be identified: limited sight-distance, poor illumination, excessive speed and no means of speed management, wrong geometry (length of crossing, number of traffic lanes), technical condition of the road and signage. Speed tests near pedestrian crossings show that some 40% of drivers do not observe the speed limits in built-up areas (especially on sections of transit roads passing through small towns and on dual carriageways in urban areas) and 30% do not observe the speed limits on rural roads.
Abstract. Based on data from 2015 [1], it was found that 31% of all fatalities in road accidents in Poland were pedestrians. In places accessible to pedestrian traffic 74.2% of total accidents involving pedestrians were recorded. Approximately 53.9% of accidents involving pedestrians take place in the proximity of pedestrian crossings. In the context of improving the safety of vulnerable road users, an assessment of the condition of infrastructure in this sensitive area is very important. Warsaw took up the challenge of a comprehensive assessment of pedestrian crossings in determining the level of road safety and lighting conditions. Research covered pedestrian crossings without traffic lights in three central districts of the city. The work included field research by teams of experts analysing the geometry of pedestrian crossings, their environment and user behaviour. To complete the task, methodologies for assessing risks to pedestrian safety were developed. In this article the authors have attempted to systematise a description of the method of pedestrian safety assessment in the area of pedestrian crossings.
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