International comparisons of traffic accidents, accident casualties and accident rates in the last three years indicate sharp deterioration of road safety in Poland. The number of accidents involving pedestrians is still very high in comparison with other countries. The authors have studied the problem of pedestrian accident risk at signalized crossings in order to: (1) identify the effects of pedestrian accident factors; (2) develop accident prediction models; and (3) assess the efficiency of accident countermeasures and traffic facilities in Poland. The first part of this study, presented here, is based on data obtained from observations made at 75 signalized pedestrian crossings. The following factors have been found as essential factors affecting pedestrian accidents: (1) traffic volume; (2) volume of buses and stops located near pedestrian crossings; and (3) ratio of red-to-cycle for pedestrian phase (RTOR and turning traffic).
Samenvatting