Assessing safety at unsignalised pedestrian crossings – Toolkit development and application in Mauritius

University of Mauritius, Civil Engineering Department, Reduit, 80837, Mauritius

^* Corresponding author: m.doomah@uom.ac.mu

Abstract

Pedestrians are classified as vulnerable road users and figures show that they are particularly at risk of being involved in traffic crashes when crossing the road. The purpose of this study is to develop a toolkit that can provide a quick and reliable means of assessing pedestrian safety at unsignalised road crossings. The toolkit parameters were identified from literature and then assigned weightages using a pedestrian perception survey. A site assessment sheet was also developed with the toolkit to allow rating of the various parameters. Four case study sites with different characteristics were assessed using the toolkit: (1) zebra crossing in a busy commercial area; (2) zebra crossing in a mixed land use area; (3) zebra crossing with speed table; and (4) zebra crossing with speed table, coloured surfacing and other safety improvements. On-site surveys were carried out and the site ratings calculated. Site scores obtained were reliable, with the first three blackspot sites obtaining low safety scores whereas the fourth site, with safety enhancements obtained a good safety rating. The toolkit also allowed quick identification of potential improvement measures for the sites considered and can therefore prove to be a useful tool for engineers, planners and policy makers for improving safety of pedestrians and ultimately promote sustainable mobility.