This paper presents latest available Australian and international statistics on the road safety of pedestrians. Selected key results are: * There has been a downward trend of pedestrian fatalities in Australia (Figure 3). * Pedestrians aged 75 and older are overrepresented in both fatalities and hospitalised injuries (Tables 1, 2 and 3). * Male pedestrians are more than twice as likely as female pedestrians to be fatally injured in a road crash for all age groups except those aged 65 and older (Figure 10). * While major cities have the highest number of fatal pedestrian crashes of any location, the rate per 100,000 people is the lowest. Conversely, very remote regions have the lowest number of fatal pedestrian crashes of any location but the highest fatality rate per 100,000 people (Figure 12). * Over 60 per cent of fatal pedestrian crashes occur where the posted speed limit is 50 or 60km/h (Table 5). * Crashes involving a pedestrian fatality peak between 6pm and 8:59pm on weekdays, and between 12am and 2:59am on weekends (Figure 14). * There are several factors that have been identified as impacting on pedestrian crashes and fatalities that the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) does not collect data on. Further research would be useful to improve understanding of the importance of these factors. (Author/publisher)
Abstract