Risk Factors Affecting Pedestrian Safety

• A lack of public education regarding pedestrian safety rules and laws. In the U.S., less than $1 is spent per person on bicycle and pedestrian education ( National Highway Institute).
• An increase in the number of motor vehicles on our roadways and large (wide), high-speed roads.
• An unfriendly pedestrian environment, including narrow sidewalks, sidewalks next to high-speed roads, no sidewalks, too few crosswalks, etc.
• Speed. More than 80% of pedestrians hit by motor vehicles traveling 40-45 mph will die of their injuries, and half die when they are struck by vehicles traveling just 30 mph. 3% to 5% of pedestrians struck by cars traveling only 20 mph are killed.
• Alcohol use by the driver or pedestrian.
• Poor pedestrian behavior practiced by adults and parents.
• Children learn pedestrian behavior by watching adults/parents. Adults need to practice proper pedestrian behavior and teach young children to do the same.
• Inadequate adult supervision of children.
• Overestimating a child’s ability to cross a street safely.
• Young children have 1/3 less side-to-side vision than do adults.
• Children are impulsive and unpredictable.
• Children have difficulty judging distance and speed of an approaching vehicle.
• Small children have a hard time seeing over bushes and other objects.
• Children lack experience, judgment and safety skills.
• Teen drivers. Of all pedestrians struck by cars, nearly one-fourth are hit by vehicles driven by teenage drivers.
• Pedestrians taking chances when crossing the street at a mid-block location.
• Pedestrians who enter the roadway from between parked vehicles.