Determining If Walkability and Bikeability Indices Reflect Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety

2020 ◽  
Vol 2674 (9) ◽  
pp. 767-775
Author(s):  
Ahmed Osama ◽  
Maria Albitar ◽  
Tarek Sayed ◽  
Alexander Bigazzi
Keyword(s):  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Motor Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Crash Risk ◽  
Spatial Effects ◽  
Perceived Safety ◽  
Crash Data ◽  
Neighborhood Walkability ◽  
Walk Score ◽  
Objective Risk ◽  
The City

Walkability and bikeability indices are used to succinctly quantify how conducive an environment is to walking and cycling, often including factors related to comfort and perceived safety. The potential assumption that “walkable” and “bikeable” mean safe for walking and cycling (i.e., the association with objective safety or crash risk) has not yet been examined. This study investigates the association between two widely used measures (walk score and bike score) and pedestrian and cyclist crashes in Vancouver, Canada, to determine whether more walkable and bikeable areas of the city are also safer for walking and biking, after controlling for exposure. Multivariate Bayesian crash models with random and spatial effects are developed for pedestrian–motor-vehicle and cyclist–motor-vehicle crashes in 134 traffic analysis zones using 5 years of crash data with walking, cycling, and motor-vehicle traffic volume controls for exposure. Results indicate that areas of the city with higher walkability and bikeability can be potentially associated with greater pedestrian and cyclist crash risk, respectively, even after controlling for exposure. While the clear answer is that neighborhood walkability and bikeability does not indicate safety for pedestrians and cyclists, questions remain as to whether they should, and if so, how they could be modified to better incorporate objective risk.

scholarly journals Role of Poverty in California Teenagers’ Fatal Traffic Crash Risk

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Males
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Motor Vehicle Crash ◽  
Motor Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Crash Risk ◽  
Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Fatal Crash ◽  
Adolescent Risk

Teenagers’ high rates of motor vehicle crashes, accounting for 40% of external deaths among 16-19 yearolds, have been ascribed largely to inherent “adolescent risk-taking” and developmental hazards. However, the fact that compared to adults 25 and older, teenagers are twice as likely to live in poverty and low-income areas, risk factors for many types of violent death, has not been assessed. This paper uses Fatality Analysis Reporting System data on 65,173 fatal motor vehicle crashes by drivers in California’s 35 most populous counties for 1994-2007 to analyze fatal crash involvements per 100 million miles driven by driver age, county, poverty status, and 15 other traffic safety-related variables. Fatal crash rates were substantially higher for every driver age group in poorer counties than in richer ones. Multivariate regression found socioeconomic factors, led by the low levels of licensing and high unemployment rates prevalent in low-income areas, were associated with nearly 60% of the variance in motor vehicle crash risks, compared to 3% associated with driver age. The strong association between fatal crash risk and poverty, especially for young drivers who are concentrated in high-poverty brackets and low-income areas, suggests that factors related to poorer environments constitute a major traffic safety risk requiring serious attention.

The impact of bike network indicators on bike kilometers traveled and bike safety: A network theory approach

2020 ◽  
pp. 239980832096446
Author(s):  
Mohamed Bayoumi Kamel ◽  
Tarek Sayed
Keyword(s):  
Network Theory ◽  
Bayesian Modeling ◽  
Crash Risk ◽  
Network Centrality ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Spatial Effects ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

There has been recent interest in the use of network analysis to quantify bike network features and their impact on biking levels and safety. However, limited bike network indicators have been evaluated. This study introduces a list of network indicators to quantify the bike network and study its effect on bike kilometers traveled and bike–vehicle crashes. Data from the city of Vancouver, Canada, are used as a case study. Full Bayesian modeling incorporating spatial effects is employed to develop Bike Kilometers Travelled (BKT) and bike–vehicle crash models. The developed BKT models show that the bike network centrality, assortativity, and weighted slope have negative associations with BKT, while the bike network directness, length, complexity and development, and connectivity have positive associations with BKT. The developed crash models show that the bike network length, centrality, assortativity, and continuity have negative associations with bike–vehicle crashes. On the other hand, the bike network complexity and development, connectivity, and linearity have positive associations with bike–vehicle crashes. The models provide insights that can be useful for planning bike networks to increase bike traffic and improve bike safety. The models also show that some changes to a bike network to increase bike traffic should be accompanied by crash risk-mitigating measures. As well, the models can be used to identify zones within a city that require safety improvements.

scholarly journals Effects of Rainfall on Vehicle Crashes in Six U.S. States

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan W. Black ◽  
Gabriele Villarini ◽  
Thomas L. Mote
Keyword(s):  
Relative Risk ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Daily Rainfall ◽  
Crash Risk ◽  
Matched Pair ◽  
Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Injury Rates ◽  
Crash Data ◽  
Crash Rates ◽  
Matched Pair Analysis

Abstract Rainfall is one of many types of weather hazard that can lead to motor vehicle crashes. To better understand the link between rainfall and crash rates, daily gridded precipitation data and automobile crash data are gathered for six U.S. states (Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio) for the period 1996–2010. A matched pair analysis is used to pair rainfall days with dry days to determine the relative risk of crash, injury, and fatality. Overall, there is a statistically significant increase in crash and injury rates during rainfall days of 10% and 8%, respectively, leading to an additional 28 000 crashes and 12 000 injuries in the 1 May–30 September period each year relative to what would be expected if those days were dry. The risk of crashes and injuries increases for increasing daily rainfall totals, with an overall increase in crashes and injuries of 51% and 38% during days with more than 50 mm (2 in.) of rainfall. While urban counties and rural counties with and without interstates each saw increased crash risk during rainfall, urban counties saw the most significant increases in relative risk. There are a number of exceptions to these broad spatial patterns, indicating that relative risk varies in ways that are not explained solely by meteorological factors.

scholarly journals Novel Smartphone-Based Measures of Cell Phone Use While Driving in a Sample of Newly Licensed Adolescent Drivers

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine C. McDonald ◽  
Kristen Ward ◽  
Yanlan Huang ◽  
Douglas J. Wiebe ◽  
M. Kit Delgado
Keyword(s):  
Cell Phone ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Smartphone Application ◽  
Motor Vehicle Crash ◽  
Female Adolescent ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Motor Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Crash Risk ◽  
Cell Phone Use ◽  
Adolescent Drivers

Background. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of adolescent death. Cell phone use while driving is a contributor to adolescent motor vehicle crash risk. Objective and directly observable measures of cell phone use while driving are needed to implement interventions aimed at reducing cell phone–related crash risk. Aims. To describe novel smartphone-based measures of cell phone use while driving in a sample of newly licensed male and female adolescent drivers. Methods. Newly licensed adolescents in Pennsylvania installed a windshield-mounted device that pairs with a smartphone application to collect data on cell phone use while driving over 2 weeks during June 2016–October 2016. Descriptive statistics, independent t tests, and Wilcoxin Mann-Whitney U test were used to characterize handheld cell phone use (“unlock”) and call time while accounting for driving exposure. Results. Data from 16 adolescents (50% male) resulted in 5,624 miles in 705 trips, 964 cell phone unlocks, and 146.22 minutes of call time. Participants had a mean of 23.96 unlocks/100 miles ( SD = 22.97), 1.23 unlocks/trip ( SD = 0.96), and 4.87 unlocks/hour driven ( SD = 3.93). Males had significantly more unlocks/100 miles, unlocks at speed >25 mph/100 miles, unlocks/hour driven, and unlocks at speed > 25 mph/hour driven ( p < .05). Conclusions. Smartphone-based applications are an innovative means by which to collect continuous data on cell phone use while driving that can be used to better understand and intervene on this frequent behavior in newly licensed adolescent drivers.

scholarly journals Trends in school-age pedestrian and pedalcyclist crashes in the USA: 26 states, 2000–2014

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 448-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine C Wheeler-Martin ◽  
Allison E Curry ◽  
Kristina B Metzger ◽  
Charles J DiMaggio
Keyword(s):  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Motor Vehicle Crashes ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
School Age ◽  
Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Crash Data ◽  
Crash Rates ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Pedestrian Crashes

BackgroundDespite substantial progress, motor vehicle crashes remain a leading killer of US children. Previously, we documented significant positive impacts of Safe Routes to School interventions on school-age pedestrian and pedalcyclist crashes.ObjectiveTo expand our analysis of US trends in motor vehicle crashes involving school-age pedestrians and pedalcyclists, exploring heterogeneity by age and geography.MethodsWe obtained recent police-reported crash data from 26 states, calculating population rates of pedestrian and pedalcyclist crashes, crash fatality rates and pedestrian commuter-adjusted crash rates (‘pedestrian danger index’) for school-age children as compared with other age groups. We estimated national and statewide trends by age, injury status, day and travel hour using hierarchical linear modeling.ResultsSchool-age children accounted for nearly one in three pedestrians and one in two pedalcyclists struck in motor vehicle crashes from 2000 to 2014. Yet, the rates of these crashes declined 40% and 53%, respectively, over that time, on average, even as adult rates rose. Average crash rates varied geographically from 24.4 to 100.8 pedestrians and 15.6 to 56.7 pedalcyclists struck per 100 000 youth. Crash rates and fatality rates were inversely correlated.ConclusionsDespite recent increases in adult pedestrian crashes, school-age and younger pedestrians experienced ongoing declines in motor vehicle crashes through 2014 across the USA. There was no evidence of displacement in crash severity; declines were observed in all outcomes. The growing body of state crash data resources can present analytic challenges but also provides unique insights into national and local pedestrian crash trends for all crash outcomes.

Children in Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Crashes

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 870-872
Author(s):  
Lewis H. Margolis ◽  
Jonathan Kotch ◽  
John H. Lacey
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Motor Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Drinking And Driving ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Traffic Crash ◽  
Crash Data ◽  
Alcohol Control

Review of North Carolina traffic crash data revealed that alcohol use, although associated with 7.9% of motor vehicle crashes involving children, accounted for 15.4% of the motor vehicle-related deaths and 10.4% of the injuries. The largest proportion of these deaths were child passengers in a vehicle in which the driver had been drinking, followed by child passengers in multiple-vehicle crashes in which the other driver had been drinking. The smallest proportion of deaths were child pedestrians. These findings suggest that, in addition to supporting more stringent alcohol control legislation, health care providers should be admonishing parents about the deadly hazards of drinking and driving to the children in their care.

Evaluation of Lane Reduction “Road Diet” Measures on Crashes and Injuries

2002 ◽  
Vol 1784 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herman F. Huang ◽  
J. Richard Stewart ◽  
Charles V. Zegeer
Keyword(s):  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Motor Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Separate Analysis ◽  
Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Significant Treatment ◽  
Crash Data ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Vehicle Capacity ◽  
Matched Comparison

“Road diets” are often conversions of four-lane undivided roads into three lanes (two through lanes plus a center turn lane). The fourth lane may be converted to bicycle lanes, sidewalks, or on-street parking. Road diets are sometimes implemented with the objective of reducing vehicle speeds as well as the number of motor vehicle crashes and injuries. A study was conducted to investigate the actual effects of road diets on motor vehicle crashes and injuries. Twelve road diets and 25 comparison sites in California and Washington cities were analyzed. Crash data were obtained for these road diet (2,068 crashes) and comparison sites (8,556 crashes). A “before” and “after” analysis using a “yoked comparison” study design found that the percent of road diet crashes occurring during the “after” period was about 6% lower than that of the matched comparison sites. However, a separate analysis in which a negative binomial model was used to control for possible differential changes in average daily traffic, study period, and other factors indicated no significant treatment effect. Crash severity was virtually the same at road diets and comparison sites. There were some differences in crash type distributions between road diets and comparison sites, but not between the “before” and “after” periods. Conversion to a road diet should be made on a case-by-case basis in which traffic flow, vehicle capacity, and safety are all considered. It is also recommended that the effects of road diets be further evaluated under a variety of traffic and roadway conditions.

Impact of Partial Graduated Driver’s License Program on Teen Motor Vehicle Crashes in Kentucky

2001 ◽  
Vol 1779 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth R. Agent ◽  
Lorena Steenbergen ◽  
Jerry G. Pigman ◽  
Pamela Stinson Kidd ◽  
Carrie McCoy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Motor Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Vehicle Crashes ◽  
Similar Reduction ◽  
Crash Data ◽  
Fatal Crashes ◽  
Driver's License ◽  
Annual Reduction ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Driver Licensing

Teen-driver motor vehicle crashes (MVCs), MVC-related injuries, and MVC-related costs before (1993-1995) and after (1997-1999) the implementation of the teen driver licensing (TDL) program in Kentucky are evaluated. Data collected as part of the study are used to recommend actions to enhance the effectiveness of Kentucky’s TDL program. The study involved the analysis of teen crash data pre-TDL and post-TDL by using data from the Kentucky Accident Reporting System database and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet driver license file. The study also involved analysis of crash data in relation to crash costs by using the CrashCost software program. Findings indicate that implementation of the TDL program in Kentucky resulted in a substantial (32 percent) reduction in MVC rates for 16-year-old drivers from before the TDL program and a similar reduction in crashes after midnight, fatal crashes, and injury crashes for the 16-year-old age group. Cost analysis indicates an estimated annual reduction of $34.2 million in 16-year-old teen-driver MVC-related expenses. However, after a dramatic reduction in the number of crashes for ages 16 to 16.5 (learner permit stage), the number of crashes rose sharply for ages 16.5 to 17, when drivers may have progressed to independent driving. There were no decreases in crash rates for 17- and 18-year-old drivers under the TDL program. Results from this study indicate a need for more effective measures to decrease MVCs for ages 16.5 to 18, such as upgrading to a full graduated driver licensing program.

scholarly journals Differences in Near-Crash Risk by Types of Distraction: A Comparison of Trends between Freeways and Two-Lane Highways using Naturalistic Driving Data

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110438
Author(s):  
Anshu Bamney ◽  
Nusayba Megat-Johari ◽  
Trevor Kirsch ◽  
Peter Savolainen
Keyword(s):  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
The United States ◽  
Distracted Driving ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
Crash Risk ◽  
Secondary Tasks ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Crash Data ◽  
Traffic Characteristics ◽  
Naturalistic Driving

Distracted driving is among the leading causes of motor vehicle crashes in the United States, though the magnitude of this problem is difficult to quantify given limitations of police-reported crash data. This study leveraged data from the second Strategic Highway Research Program Naturalistic Driving Study to gain important insights into the risks posed by driver distraction on both freeways and two-lane highways. More than 50 types of secondary tasks were aggregated into ten distraction type categories and mixed-effects logistic regression models were estimated to discern how the risks of near-crash events varied by distraction type while controlling for the effects of driver, roadway, and traffic characteristics. In general, the types of distractions that created the most pronounced risks were those that introduced a combination of cognitive, visual, and manual distractions. For example, drivers who used cell phones were subject to higher risks and these risks tended to be most pronounced when both visual and manual distractions were involved. Likewise, risks tended to be highest when drivers reached for other objects inside the vehicle, engaged in personal hygiene-related activities, or focused on activities occurring outside of the driving environment. Although the same factors tended to increase near-crash risk on both types of facilities, the impacts of several factors tended to be more pronounced on two-lane highways where interaction with other vehicles occurred more frequently. From a policy standpoint, the results of this study provide further motivation for more aggressive legislation and enforcement of distracted driving.

scholarly journals Factors Contributing to Police Attendance at Motor Vehicle Crash Scenes

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Tay ◽  
Lina Kattan ◽  
Yuan Bai
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Regression Model ◽  
Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Motor Vehicle Crash ◽  
Crash Data ◽  
Police Services ◽  
Vehicle Crash ◽  
Secondary Crashes ◽  
The City

Police attendance at a motor vehicle crash scene is important for investigating the causes of crashes, reducing secondary crashes, managing traffic, and reducing congestion. However, very little research has been conducted to examine the factors contributing to the likelihood of police attendance. This study hypothesizes that the policies of the police services concerned, convenience and comfort, and expectations of injuries or driver violations will increase the likelihood of police attendance at a crash scene. This conceptual framework is supported by the results from fitting a logistic regression model to crash data from the City of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.

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