Protection of vulnerable road users and especially pedestrians is one of the problems to be solved in the field of road safety. Since the beginning of the seventies, many changes have been observed in the magnitude of pedestrian casualties in most of the more motorized countries. The total number of pedestrian fatalities has been reduced to one third in West Germany (6,000 to 2,000) and halved for Japan and all Europe, while the vehicles in use greatly increased. The interesting phenomenon is studied on the basis of available world road statistics. Differences between countries in terms of relative importance of pedestrian casualties, accident areas, alcohol influence, age of victims, violence of impact and risks are also given. Consequences of these statistical facts on improvement in pedestrian protection are discussed. For the covering abstract of the conference, see IRRD 837684.
Abstract