The number of pedestrian related accidents not covered by traffic accident statistics — which is taking into account only police reported accidents — is to be considered significant. This study demonstrates that in 2009 the number of pedestrians injured without the involvement of vehicles is eight times higher than stated in official statistics (32,500 without involvement of moving vehicle vs. 3,995 with involvement of moving vehicle). Especially elderly people are victims of falls on sidewalks: almost every second pedestrian injured was older than 60 years; the future demographic development will lead to a continuous rise of accidents in this age group. This development must be taken into account as traffic safety programs will also have to focus on this topic. The condition of sidewalks was of significant importance for the majority of pedestrian accidents without vehicle involvement. The most common causes for accidents in this context were sidewalks covered with ice, snow or dirt. Overall, it became obvious that risk factors resulting from infrastructure and its lack of maintenance are of major relevance for pedestrians. Therefore safety depends on factors which pedestrians are hardly able to affect. In order to identify deficiencies and flaws on sidewalks as well as to propose potential for optimization, an assessment tool was developed and tested during this study. In the course of inspections in selected locations in Vienna and Lower Austria it became obvious that this instrument is definitely helpful for practical use. Based on the results of accident statistics, interviews and visits, including the guidelines and regulations for road engineering and the Traffic Safety Program 2011-2020, suggestions for actions were developed. It includes an assessment in terms of the accident reduction potential, costs and technical feasibility. The suggested measures definitely pay off: An injury cost calculation shows that the reduction of pedestrian related accidents by 10% would reduce costs of medical treatment by approximately € 10 million per year. (Author/publisher)
Abstract