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Vulnerable Road Users in Safe System Approach

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 19787

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dario Babić

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: road safety; traffic signalling; driving simulator; human factor; road asset management

Prof. Dr. Timothy J. Gates

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Interests: road safety; traffic signage; traffic control devices; road design

Dr. Wes Kumfer

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Guest Editor

Highway Safety Research Center, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
Interests: road safety; pedestrian crash modeling; safe systems implementation; engineering evaluation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Road safety is a significant social problem and represents one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Although road safety is improving for all stakeholders through significant developments, progress remains slow and to some extent misaligned with established targets. This slow progress is partially due to the dynamic and complex nature of road traffic. Contemporary road safety strategies, such as the Safe System Approach, acknowledge that humans make mistakes and that human bodies have limited ability to tolerate crash impacts and that those mistakes should never lead to death. This implies that human mistakes should be anticipated and their safety risk be minimized by designing and managing road infrastructure. Furthermore, when a mistake leads to a crash, the impact on the human body should not result in a fatality or serious injury. Overall, the strategy is based on a holistic approach with layers of protection for road users: safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads, and post-crash care.

Special attention in road safety needs to be given to vulnerable road users who, compared to road users in vehicles, lack protection and thus often suffer serious and fatal injuries when crashes occur. Traditionally, vulnerable road users have consisted of pedestrians, cyclists, and powered two-wheelers (PTW). However, today, other personal mobility devices, such as e-scooters, e-bikes, and motorized devices providing mobility to people with disabilities as well as the fragile or aged, are becoming increasingly popular and are included in the group of vulnerable road users.

In this Special Issue, we aim to tackle the problem of safety of vulnerable road users through the Safe System Approach in order to make another step towards sustainable safety and Vision Zero. This Special Issue will help researchers and practitioners understand factors such as the impact of the theory and practice of planning, design, and management of infrastructures and public spaces, new methodologies, and technologies on traffic safety improvement; the analysis tools and techniques required; and future challenges. This Special Issue will be of interest to researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers who deal with road safety problems and issues generally involved in road traffic engineering, urban planning, as well as design, traffic, and maintenance engineers.

In view of the established objectives of this Special Issue, we invite scholars and practitioners to submit their original research or review articles. Potential topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Safety and mobility issues related to different vulnerable road users;
Sustainable road infrastructure designs;
Transport and infrastructure modeling;
Smart mobility and sustainability;
Emerging technologies related to mobility of vulnerable road users;
Intelligent vehicle technologies related to detection of vulnerable road users;
New methods in road safety data collection and analysis;
Human factor in road safety;
Cross-cultural differences and difficulties related to vulnerable road users.

Dr. Dario Babić
Prof. Dr. Timothy J. Gates
Dr. Wes Kumfer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

vulnerable road users
human factor
safe system approach
road safety analysis
sustainable safety

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 6115 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Utilizing Intelligent Portable Bicycle Lights to Assess Urban Bicycle Infrastructure Surfaces

by Tufail Ahmed, Ali Pirdavani, Davy Janssens and Geert Wets

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4495; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054495 - 2 Mar 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2226

Abstract

Vibration from bicycle infrastructure affects the cyclists’ comfort and the choice of this transportation mode. This study uses smart portable bicycle lights to measure the vibration and quantify the level of cycling comfort on cycling infrastructure. A total of 28 bicycle streets and paths were selected in the city of Hasselt, Belgium, as the case study area. Six volunteer cyclists were recruited for the vibration sensitivity test of the device before the actual data collection. The results showed no considerable difference in the vibration recorded separately on each tested bicycle surface. The average vibration values vary from 1 to 17.78, indicating that riding comfort varies significantly across different surfaces. Asphalt and concrete roads had the lowest vibration and were the most comfortable in the study area. In contrast, cobblestone-paved bike paths were the least comfortable because of higher vibration. A comfort level map was developed based on the relationship between cycle vibration and subjective perception of comfort level. Twenty cyclists participated in the perception of vibration test. The comfort level is inversely correlated with the vibration. This methodology is adaptable to any other setting. Additionally, practitioners can use it to check and track the quality of the surface of the bicycle infrastructure over time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerable Road Users in Safe System Approach)

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18 pages, 3639 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Elderly Pedestrians and Road Safety: Findings from the Slovenian Accident Database and Measures for Improving Their Safety

by Stanko Laković, Tomaž Tollazzi and Chiara Gruden

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1631; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021631 - 13 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2005

Abstract

The number of elderly people is increasing worldwide, especially in Europe. Such an aging of the population has numerous consequences for society, many of which relate to transportation: older people, aware of their reduced abilities, prefer walking to driving. This leads to an increase in the elderly walking population and thus the need to understand and address the safety issues of these road users. Although these issues are well known, this topic has been little researched so far. The objective of this research is to provide a deeper insight into the safety level of elderly pedestrians by recognizing repetitive patterns leading to accidents involving them, to highlight the magnitude of the problem by analyzing a 10-year pedestrian crash database, to develop a model predicting—on the basis of the recognized patterns—the severity level of collisions involving older pedestrians, and, finally, on the basis of the highlighted factors, to propose some countermeasures to improve their safety. In order to achieve this goal, first, a statistical analysis of the database is performed, considering 13 factors that lead to accidents. Second, Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Anderson–Darling tests are performed to check if the data follow a normal distribution. Finally, an ordinal logistic regression model is proposed to determine the relationship between the crash severity level and the factors characterizing collisions. Thanks to this model, the statistical influencing factors are highlighted. Finally, based on the previous analysis, some technical and educational countermeasures are proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerable Road Users in Safe System Approach)

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16 pages, 3078 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lighting Strategies to Increase Nighttime Pedestrian Visibility at Midblock Crosswalks

by Rajaram Bhagavathula and Ronald B. Gibbons

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1455; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021455 - 12 Jan 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3035

Abstract

In the last decade, pedestrian fatalities at night, especially at midblock locations, have been increasing at an alarming rate. Lighting is an effective countermeasure in reducing nighttime crashes. However, few studies have evaluated the effects of crosswalk lighting on pedestrian visibility at midblock locations. There is an existing need to develop lighting designs that increase pedestrian visibility. Further, the safety effects of lighting have never been directly compared to other pedestrian-crossing treatments (such as flashing signs, rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs), etc.). Thus, in order to make effective recommendations for increasing nighttime pedestrian visibility, it is important to compare the visibility benefits of crosswalk lighting designs with and without pedestrian-crossing treatments. This study evaluated the visual performance of five midblock crosswalk lighting designs along with two pedestrian safety countermeasures at three light levels on a realistic midblock crosswalk. Visual performance was measured by calculating the distance at which the participants could detect a child-sized mannequin under the evaluated conditions. The results showed that midblock crosswalks should be illuminated to an average vertical illuminance of 10 lux to ensure optimal pedestrian visibility. Lighting designs that render the pedestrian in positive contrast (area in front of the crosswalk is illuminated) are recommended to increase pedestrian visibility. It is also recommended that pedestrian-crossing treatments, such as RRFBs and flashing signs, should be used with lighting to increase nighttime visibility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerable Road Users in Safe System Approach)

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16 pages, 6723 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Influencing Stopping Locations of Motorcycle Riders on Signalized Urban Intersection Approaches

by Thanapol Promraksa, Thaned Satiennam, Wichuda Satiennam, Patiphan Kaewwichian and Nopadon Kronprasert

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15236; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215236 - 16 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2029

Abstract

In developing countries, motorcycle riders normally attempt to stop at their desired locations during queue formation on signalized intersection approaches. Under mixed-traffic conditions, motorcycle positioning in a queue affects the operational and safety performance of the intersection. This study aimed to identify factors influencing motorcycle riders’ stopping locations at signalized urban intersections. This study applied Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to observe the stopping behavior of 1413 motorcycle riders on 24 approaches from 10 signalized intersections in Thailand (N = 1413). Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between the stopping locations of motorcycle riders and rider- and motorcycle-related variables and traffic- and environmental-related variables. The statistical analyses presented a Cox and Snell R² and Nagelkerke R² of 0.466 and 0.499, respectively, indicating that the model accounted for almost 50% of the variation among the five stopping locations of motorcycle riders. The results showed that, under mixed-traffic conditions in Thailand with left-hand traffic, motorcycle riders intending to turn right, the morning peak period, the presence of shadows, motorcycle riders not wearing helmets, the presence of a larger vehicle in the queue, and the density of desired stopping locations significantly influenced the motorcyclists’ choice of stopping locations on signalized intersection approaches. Practical policy-related recommendations drawn from the findings are provided to improve motorcyclists’ safety on signalized intersection approaches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerable Road Users in Safe System Approach)

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15 pages, 292 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Road Safety Barriers on the Severity of Motorcyclist Injuries in Horizontal Curves

by Marija Ferko, Dario Babić, Darko Babić, Ali Pirdavani, Marko Ševrović, Marijan Jakovljević and Grgo Luburić

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 14790; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214790 - 9 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1989

Abstract

Motorcyclist safety remains a significant problem, and the overall safety of motorcyclists has been improved at a much slower rate in the last decade compared to passenger and commercial vehicles. Because motorcyclists are not protected by the vehicle frame, fatalities or severe injuries are often related to hitting a roadside object or safety barrier. The main objective of this study is to investigate relations between the presence and type of road safety barriers and the consequences of motorcycle crashes on rural roads. For this purpose, we analysed Croatian rural road-crash data from 2015–2019, tested several factors as single predictors, and combined them using binary logistic regression. The results show that run-off-road crashes and nighttime driving are significant risk factors. There was no significant positive impact of the presence of safety barriers on the crash consequences due to the unsuitability of the barriers for motorcyclists, which proves the fact that the functionality of existing safety barriers should be upgraded. The results of this study could be further used by researchers, road designers, and experts to improve road infrastructure safety on rural roads. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerable Road Users in Safe System Approach)

17 pages, 3482 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrating Vulnerable Road User Safety Criteria into Transportation Asset Management to Prioritize Budget Allocation at the Network Level

by Carlos M. Chang, Marketa Vavrova and Syeda Lamiya Mahnaz

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8317; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148317 - 7 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2301

Abstract

Safety is a major worldwide concern due to the increasing number of fatalities of vulnerable road users (VRUs). VRUs are pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists, and their safety is a priority when making infrastructure management decisions. Traditionally, transportation agencies have adopted transportation asset management (TAM) practices based on performance measures to assess the physical condition of transport infrastructure. This paper describes a framework to incorporate VRU’s safety into the TAM decision-making process. The main objective of the VRU-TAM framework is to mitigate pedestrian fatalities by improving the decision-making process at the strategic and operational management level. The VRU-TAM framework is composed of four phases: assessment, prioritization, scenario analysis, and results. It includes a prioritization methodology using a safety-weighted effectiveness ratio (SWER) to consider pedestrian safety factors and costs in the decision-making process. In a broader perspective, pedestrian safety is affected by driver, demographic, pedestrian, infrastructure, and policy related factors. The decision-making criteria reflected in SWER considers the asset importance, location, pedestrian safety risk, costs, and remaining life in the budget allocation process, and adopts the dynamic bubble up (DBU) technique for budget prioritization at the network level. An example is presented for crosswalks to demonstrate the applicability of the methodology to evaluate different budget-driven scenarios for funding allocation. As a conclusion, it is demonstrated that the outcomes of the budget-driven scenarios following the method that incorporates safety criteria, with tangible metrics, offer a deeper understanding of the effects of budgetary constraints on backlog costs and the remaining life of infrastructure assets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerable Road Users in Safe System Approach)

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17 pages, 5634 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Predicting Pedestrian Crashes in Texas’ Intersections and Midblock Segments

by Natalia Zuniga-Garcia, Kenneth A. Perrine and Kara M. Kockelman

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7164; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127164 - 10 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2147

Abstract

This study analyzes pedestrian crash counts at more than one million intersections and midblock segments using Texas police reports over ten years. Developing large-scale micro-level analyses is challenging due to the lack of geographic information and characterization at a statewide scale. Therefore, key contributions include methods for obtaining many points and related variables across a vast network while controlling for traffic control variables (signalized intersections), highway design details, traffic attributes, and land use information across multiple sources. The analytical framework includes a method to estimate the intersection and midblock segments’ geometry and characteristics, data processing of historical pedestrian crashes and mapping to the estimated geometry, and the development of predictive models. A negative binomial model for crash counts across the state of Texas and within the city of Austin suggests that signalized intersections, arterial roads, more lanes, narrower or non-existent medians, and wider lanes coincide with higher crash rates per vehicle-mile traveled (VMT) and per walk-mile traveled. The analysis suggests that daily VMT increases the likelihood of pedestrian crashes, and midblock segments are more vulnerable than intersections, where one standard deviation increase in VMT caused an increase in crashes at intersections and midblock sections of 52% and 187%, respectively. Furthermore, the number of intersection crashes in Austin is higher than in the rest of Texas, but the number of midblock crashes is lower. Analysis of the Austin area suggests that the central business district location is critical, with midblock crashes being more sensitive (240%) in this area than intersection (78%) crashes. Moreover, a significant inequity was found in the area: an increase of USD 41,000 in average household income leads to a reduction of 32% (intersections) and 39% (midblock) in pedestrian crash rates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerable Road Users in Safe System Approach)

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16 pages, 3656 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improved Perception of Motorcycles by Simulator-Based Driving Education

by Arno Eichberger, Marianne Kraut and Ioana V. Koglbauer

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5283; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095283 - 27 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2430

Abstract

Research shows that about half of all motorcycle collisions with other vehicles were caused by the accident opponent, typically a passenger car. This study aimed to assess the effect of simulator training on improving car drivers’ perceptibility of motorcycles and thereby addressing this frequent type of motorcycle accident from the perspective of the initiator. For this purpose, a training program with different methods was conducted and tested in a driving simulator with 80 learner drivers aged between 15 and 27 years, assigned to a control group and three training groups: variable priority, equal priority, and equal priority with warning. The conflict scenarios were determined based on an analysis of motorcycle–car accidents. The variable priority training program resulted in better perceptibility of motorcycles as compared to the equal priority training program and equal priority with warning in two out of four test setups, i.e., urban roads with high contrast between motorcycle and the driving environment and on rural roads with a low contrast. Most participants rated each training method in the driving simulator as useful and would recommend it to other learner drivers. These results are important because they show that simulator training has a positive effect on the motorcycle detection performance of learner drivers. The early perception of motorcycles in car drivers is essential for preventing collisions between cars and motorcycles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerable Road Users in Safe System Approach)

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