Multilevel models for evaluating the risk of pedestrian–motor vehicle collisions at intersections and mid-blocks

Abstract

Walking is a popular form of physical activity associated with clear health benefits. Promoting safe walking for pedestrians requires evaluating the risk of pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions at specific roadway locations in order to identify where road improvements and other interventions may be needed. The objective of this analysis was to estimate the risk of pedestrian collisions at intersections and mid-blocks in Seattle, WA. The study used 2007-2013 pedestrian-motor vehicle collision data from police reports and detailed characteristics of the microenvironment and macroenvironment at intersection and mid-block locations. The primary outcome was the number of pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions over time at each location (incident rate ratio [IRR] and 95% confidence interval [95% CI]). Multilevel mixed effects Poisson models accounted for correlation within and between locations and census blocks over time. Analysis accounted for pedestrian and vehicle activity (e.g., residential density and road classification). In the final multivariable model, intersections with 4 segments or 5 or more segments had higher pedestrian collision rates compared to mid-blocks. Non-residential roads had significantly higher rates than residential roads, with principal arterials having the highest collision rate. The pedestrian collision rate was higher by 9% per 10 feet of street width. Locations with traffic signals had twice the collision rate of locations without a signal and those with marked crosswalks also had a higher rate. Locations with a marked crosswalk also had higher risk of collision. Locations with a one-way road or those with signs encouraging motorists to cede the right-of-way to pedestrians had fewer pedestrian collisions. Collision rates were higher in locations that encourage greater pedestrian activity (more bus use, more fast food restaurants, higher employment, residential, and population densities). Locations with higher intersection density had a lower rate of collisions as did those in areas with higher residential property values. The novel spatiotemporal approach used that integrates road/crossing characteristics with surrounding neighborhood characteristics should help city agencies better identify high-risk locations for further study and analysis. Improving roads and making them safer for pedestrians achieves the public health goals of reducing pedestrian collisions and promoting physical activity.

Qualitative Field Observation of Pedestrian Injury Hotspots: A Mixed-Methods Approach for Developing Built- and Socioeconomic-Environmental Risk Signatures

“…Traffic Volume: Traffic volume, whether represented directly by measures such as vehicle miles travelled or indirectly by arterial road presence, is one of the strongest risk factors associated with PMVCs. Research has consistently shown that areas with higher traffic volume result in more PMVCs, as well as higher injury severities [15][16][17][18][19][20]. This effect is not necessarily distributed uniformly in space.…”

“…Road Width: Closely related to traffic volume is road width, which can be examined as the number of lanes as well as the width of those lanes. With regard to the former, numerous studies have found that the number of lanes on a road is significantly associated with increased risk of PMVC [15,18,22,23]. This is due to the added distance that pedestrians are required to cross, thereby increasing their exposure to traffic.…”

“…Intersections: The design of intersections also affects PMVC risk. It is widely agreed that four-legged intersections are more dangerous for pedestrians than their three-legged counterparts [15,18,28,29], and that adding more approaches only exacerbates PMVC rates [18,30]. While in some cases this may be a reflection of traffic volume, adding more approaches to an intersection may increase its complexity, making it more dangerous for pedestrians.…”

“…Socioeconomic Status: Unsurprisingly, socioeconomic status is strongly associated with PMVC rates. Studies have linked low area-level educational attainment to higher PMVC rates [16,18,20,29,42,43] as well as increased severity of subsequent injuries [32].…”

Density based Traffic System and Collision Alert at Intersection of Roads

“…This is mainly done to evacuate the traffic congestion and accidents at peak hours. approach which uses the data about the characteristics of road and the surroundings of neighbourhood [5].…”