This chapter describes how, because of the fact that pedestrians and vehicles must share the same roadways, the result can often lead to a conflict between the two. In such conflicts the pedestrian is typically the loser. Street crossing can be quite complex for pedestrians in certain situations; for example, a task analysis for child pedestrians in previous research identified 26 subtasks. In the street-crossing task, the road is scanned, traffic is perceived, and judgments are made about the distance, speed, and movement of vehicles. This information is processed and stored and, on the basis of it, a decision is made about whether or where to cross the road. Various factors have an impact upon pedestrian behavior and safety: (1) environment (road type, intersections, surfaces, lighting, regulations); (2) traffic (volume, moving and stationary vehicles, communication); (3) personal (physical, psychological and personal characteristics; motivation; age; experience); and (4) social (presence of others, purpose of journey, play).
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