The project linked to the Rob Methorst study of AVV Transport Research Centre about pedestrians in traffic was elaborated with four last year students of the Psychology Course of the UCDB with the aim to study the opinion and the behaviours of aged pedestrians in Campo Grande MS.Brazil. The city has more or less 750.000 inhabitants with 150.000 aged. Begin 05/2006 end 11/2006. The study used two essential different methods: 4 Questionnaires and 2 observations: Q1:A social-demographic questionnaire: Participants: 200 : 126 (63%) women,74 (37%) men, Average age 72,7 years Married: 43%, widower 38%, separated 9,5, single: 7% On the average they had 5,35 children, 11% had six . 45% were members of age groups in health centers Education: 30% had no primary school and: 61% only primary. school: so 90% had only basic education, Financial: 70% lived with 1 minimum salary (R$ 350,00 = € 127,00), and 20% with 2 or 3 minimum. salaries . Life standard is low, considering that many of them have to buy expensive remedies. Health care is insufficient. Many aged have to be pedestrians even they use sometimes a bus. Q2:Ergonomic questionnaire, opinions about the ergonomic basis in center and outskirts. Transport Modes: 83% have no vehicle;74% are bus users;13% have a car,4% a bycicle. Conditions of sidewalk in the center were judged bad or awful by 38% and regular by 38,5%, but in the outskirts 60,5% judged them bad or awful and only 18,5% regular. Sidewalks by law are the responsibility of the plot owner not of the municipality, because of bad conditions of the sidewalk many pedestrians walk on the car ways. Crosswalks in the center were judged good or regular by 63% , bad and awful by 33%, but in the outskirts they were judged insufficient by 66% More than 75% of them judged the road signs (pedestrian traffic lights) insufficient or very insufficient. Street name indicators in the center were judged by 63% insufficient versus 80% in the outskirts. Many times they have then to ask the name to the inhabitants Q3:Opinions about the behaviour of other road users toward aged. Respect of vehicle drivers: 60% have the opinion that rarely or never they are respected. Q4: Auto-evaluation of the traffic behaviour of the aged The great majority (94%) thinks that the aged walk on the sidewalks, and only 6% on the car way, that 80% use crosswalks, 50% risky behavior and 50% respect road signs. Motivation for using crosswalks 52% because it’s safer and 24% to obey the law Motivation for not using: 47% there are few, much effort 15%, no control 12,5% Opinion about pedestrian traffic education: The majority 88% judged it extremely to very important 12 had no opinion about. So for many traffic education would be desirable. OBSERVATION RESULTS (Observations were made in the center and the outskirts) Average: (N.122: F:53 M:69) 17% walked on the car way, more than they estimated, 31% didn’t use the crosswalks also more than estimated, 30% crossed obliquely what is less safer, 29% used support of person or cane, positive for their age. Many didn’t obey de crossing rules, 31% didn’t stop at the border of the sidewalk, 11% didn’t look on the sides, 20% didn’t wait for vehicles. 51% showed a risky behaviour many by not obeying the crossing rules. The majority 74% crossed rapidly. 8% crossed when the traffic light for them was yellow or red. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the aged pedestrians are poor, many of them have to be pedestrians, they are not very happy about the ergonomic conditions for them especially in the outskirts, many don’t even know the crossing rules, have risky behaviour and are not well respected by the drivers. It seems they are afraid of crossing the street. (Author/publisher) This publication may be accessed by Internet users at: http://www.ictct.org/workshop.php?workshop_nr=25
Samenvatting