This report looks at a number of attributes of accidents involving vulnerable road users (pedestrians and pedal cyclists) and their travel characteristics in order to identify areas where safety and mobility improvements may be obtained. The report aims to look at the problems encountered by vulnerable road users on a national level (the Netherlands) and on a more local level, specifically the city which will be the focus of the remainder of the project (Groningen). Equivalent reports were prepared by the Institute for Transport Studies of the University of Leeds (UK) and the Department of Traffic Planning and Engineering of the Lund University (S) discussing the situation in Great Britain and Bradford and in Sweden and Växjö respectively. On a national level, it was shown that vulnerable road users are involved in about a third of all accidents. About three-quarters of vulnerable road user accidents involve pedal cyclists. The majority of accidents involving vulnerable road users occur in urban areas. Typical types of accident situations for pedestrians are when a pedestrian suddenly crosses the street, when a pedestrian emerges from behind an object, or on zebra crossings. Pedal cycle accidents predominantly occur where the other traffic participant is on a road which crosses the path of the cyclist, where the other traffic participant is on the same road as the cyclist and one makes a turning manoeuvre across the path of the other, and finally where the other participant is on the same road as the cyclist, but no turning manoeuvre is involved. In general it was shown that pedestrian and pedal cyclists are particularly vulnerable road users: 3.6% of the total distance travelled is covered on foot, whilst 8.3% of the total number of accidents involve pedestrians; 14.7% of the total distance travelled is by pedal cycle, whilst pedal cyclists are involved in 22.9% of the accidents. Over a one year period there were 483 accidents involving vulnerable road users reported to the police in Groningen. About four-fifth of the vulnerable road user accidents involved pedal cyclists. About a third of the pedestrian accidents occur at junctions. Most pedestrian accidents occur when the pedestrian attempts to cross the road, and a high proportion, compared to the national situation, occur on zebra crossings. About 60% of the pedal cycle accidents occur at junctions. Of those accidents occurring at junctions, a particular problem involves pedal cyclists who wish to go straight on. The causes of pedal cyclist accidents were shown to be far more diverse than pedestrian accidents. (A)
Samenvatting