01623036

Component

https://doi.org/10.3141/2661-03

Interest has grown in using traffic conflicts for studying safety from a broader perspective than relying only on collision data. Traffic conflict analysis is typically performed through the calculation of traditional conflict severity measures such as time-to-collision and postencroachment time. These measures rely on road users getting within specific temporal and spatial proximity from each other and therefore assume that proximity is the surrogate for severity. However, this assumption may not be valid in some driving environments where close interactions between road users are common and sudden evasive actions are frequently used to avoid collisions. It is suggested that evasive action–based conflict indicators can assess the analysis in some less-organized traffic environments. This study focused on the severity evaluation of pedestrian conflicts. Pedestrian evasive actions were reflected mainly in variations of spatiotemporal gait parameters (step frequency and step length). The objective was to compare the use of time proximity and evasive action–based conflict indicators in evaluating the severity of pedestrian conflicts in different traffic environments. Video data from intersections in five major cities—Shanghai, China; New Delhi, India; New York City; Doha, Qatar; and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada—were analyzed with automated computer vision techniques to extract pedestrian-involved conflicts and calculate conflict indicators. Results show that evasive action–based indicators were more effective in identifying and measuring the severity of pedestrian conflicts than time proximity measures in traffic environments such as Shanghai and New Delhi. However, evasive action measures did not show the same potential in Vancouver and Doha, where time proximity measures were more effective.

01650112

17-00857

English

pp 19–29

2017

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

9780309441940

Digital/other

Figures (5) ; Photos; References (41) ; Tables (2)

Case studies; Crash severity; Pedestrian safety; Time; Traffic conflicts

Evasive maneuvers; Time to collision

Doha (Qatar); New Delhi (India); New York (New York); Shanghai (China); Vancouver (Canada)

Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Dec 8 2016 10:13AM

• Beaconing Signalization Substantially Reduces Blind Pedestrians’ Veer on Snow-Covered Pavement
• Comparison of Analytical Methods on Staged Pedestrian Crossings at Crosswalks with a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon
• Estimating Pedestrian Exposure for Small Urban and Rural Areas
• Evaluation of North Carolina Adaptation of NHTSA’s Child Pedestrian Safety Curriculum
• Factors Affecting Driver Yielding Compliance at Uncontrolled Midblock Crosswalks on Low-Speed Roadways
• Introducing the Pedestrian Accessibility Tool: Walkability Analysis for a Geographic Information System
• Measuring Walking Accessibility in Metropolitan Areas
• Real-World Demonstrations of Novel Pedestrian Crosswalk Lighting
• Self-Reported Behaviors and Habits of Distracted College Pedestrians While Walking
• The Missing Middle: Filling the Gap Between Walkability and Observed Walking Behavior
• Using Embodied Videos of Walking Interviews in Walkability Assessment
• Validation of an Agent-Based Microscopic Pedestrian Simulation Model at a Scramble Phase Signalized Intersection
• Wayfinding Problems for Blind Pedestrians at Noncorner Crosswalks: Novel Solution