This paper deals with the traffic safety of pedestrians and cyclists and focuses on how changes of the traffic environment influence the safety and security of children in urban areas. The first aim of this study is to develop a method of describing road safety and mobility for pedestrians and cyclists, especially children, at intersections in urban areas. The method is mainly based on video recordings at intersections, from which the behaviour is coded with respect to different variables. Behaviour is here defined as both that displayed by the pedestrians and cyclists as well as that of the car drivers towards the pedestrians and cyclists. The method is used in before and after studies at intersections that have been rebuilt according to the "Lugna Gatan" traffic calming principles. The Highway Code concerning car drivers giving way to pedestrians was strengthened on May 1st, 2000 in Sweden. Since then the car drivers must give way to pedestrians on zebra crossings. The effect of changing the Code and traffic calming has also been studied. At the studied intersections the reconstruction has resulted in lower vehicle speeds and fewer potential incidents and conflicts. The goal of traffic calming of a 90-percentile driving speed below 30 km/h was only fulfilled at one of the test sites, but the speeds had decreased also at the other test site. The design of an intersection influences the different road users' behaviour. If pedestrians are walking on the zebra crossing or not depends on the traffic environment's design. This has a strong influence on car drivers' behaviour towards pedestrians. A raised intersection can lead to pedestrians crossing the street not only on the zebra crossing. At this raised intersection the proportion of car drivers giving way to pedestrians was low, even if the vehicle speeds were low. Before reconstruction the proportion of car drivers giving way to pedestrians were low and independent of the pedestrian's age. At the other test site, where speed cushions were implemented, pedestrians began to use the zebra crossing to a greater extent, the mobility improved most for the child age group, both after reconstruction and change of Code. At the site where fewer pedestrians used the zebra crossing after reconstruction and change of Code, the children were given priority more often after reconstruction and change of Code but the increase was not larger than for other age groups. Children and the elderly had the smallest increase in frequency of being given way to by any car driver. For the covering abstract see ITRD E122795.
Samenvatting