The pedestrian was until recently not considered as taking part in the traffic system. The introduction of pedestrian needs and safety is a quite new phenomenon. This paper wants to give recommendations to improve the safety through rules and the legal protection of the pedestrians. The fundamental principle that must guide this search is that all road-users regardless of age, physical capacity and mode of transport have the right to travel safely. Pedestrians to try to joint the traffic system, need to be taken into account and for that the traffic codes in general need to incorporate rules made to improve the safety and the comfort of walking. To reach this goal, it is worth doing a critical overview of the existing codes in each country. Rules enacted in the 60's may not be up to date with the pedestrian's needs of today. For example, the term pedestrian is often not defined in a walking point of view but as a lake of vehicle what does not give any impulse to take his need into account. So with this critical overview, some definitions need sometimes to be added to the existing national traffic codes. There is also a search for equity. Pedestrians are exposed to far greater risks than they create through their presence in public space for the others users. We also know from mobility data that pedestrians are significantly represented in urban area in terms of both absolute numbers and trip numbers. So this inequity may not longer stay if we want a increasing of walking trips in the coming years. This inequity can be balanced through legislation. In the OCDE countries two solutions appear: the precautionary principle and financial protection in case of accidents. As the national traffic codes are trying through the rules to avoid dangerous situations on the road for vehicles, then the same have to be implemented for the pedestrians as they are part of the road-users. It is than useful to look at the in depth analysis of pedestrian crashes and than enacting rules that may contribute to avoid dangerous situations and to develop standards or norms applying to street design also to improve the safety. Enforcement, to improve the safety and comfort of pedestrian, has to focus on dangerous behaviours from vehicles as from pedestrians. For the vehicles, enforcement has to be focused on speed limit, on driving under influence and on respect of the pedestrian dedicated infrastructure. As there is no license to walk, the knowledge of the pedestrian may vary a lot, depending of culture, education or abilities. So for the pedestrians the educational process is fundamental. (Author/publisher)
Abstract