Transcript Presentation title

The urgent need for traffic calming
measures for pedestrians in India
Åse Svensson
PhD Traffic Engineering
Traffic safety is a problem for the society
• Each year about 1.3 million people die in road crashes and
an additional 20 and 50 million sustain injuries
• Today – road crashes is the 5th leading cause of death. By
2020 – 3rd place!
• Traffic safety improves in high-income countries while it
continuously becomes worse in other parts of the world
• (WHO, 2009)
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Trends in high income-countries
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
India
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Pedestrians are at stake
• 50% of all road traffic fatalities in the world are among
vulnerable road users
• Higher percentage in low-middle-income countries
• While in high income countries car travellers are at stake
• Vehicle speed is the key risk factor for injuries among
pedestrians and cyclists (WHO, 2009)
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
The project
• Partners: CUTS Centre for Consumer Action, Research &
Training (CUTS CART) and Lund University, Transport and
Roads, Sweden
• Consultant partner: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Delhi
• Finance: Swedish International Development Cooperation
Agency (SIDA)
• Studies in the city of Jaipur, India
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Aim
• Aim of the project – to identify feasible traffic calming
measures for pedestrians in Jaipur and to more generally
get across an understanding for the urgent need of these
in India
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Method
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Extensive studies in 7 of our studied 24 intersections
Traffic flow measurements
Studies of crossing and interaction behaviour
Conflict studies
Speed measurements
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Results – behaviour & intersection design
• Unorganized and non-channelized
crossing behaviour
• Vehicle drivers neglect crossing
pedestrians
• Intersection area too spacious –
- difficult to get an overview
- pedestrian crossings outside the
intersection
- due to poor accessibility
pedestrians cross in the middle of
the intersection – most conflicts
occur here as well
• Barriers in form of high medians with
bushes – pedestrians have to climb
• No waiting areas for bus passengers
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Results – speeds for vehicles approaching
the intersection
Site Car speeds
MC speeds
Mean 85perc Mean 85perc
1
43
52
41
50
2
42
50
42
48
3
45
54
43
51
4
45
54
44
52
5
41
50
39
46
6
40
50
41
48
7*
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Vehicle speed a key-factor for safety
Strong relationship between vehicle speed and safety:
1) relationship between speed and the occurrence of
accidents – i.e. higher speed means less time margins to
avoid a collision
2) IF there is a collision then there is a relationship between
speed, collision speed and injury severity
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
The power model
Example:
Reduction of mean
speed from 60 km/h
(37mph) to 55 km/h (34
mph) i.e. by 8%
reduces fatal accidents
by 25-35%.
Source: Nilsson, 2004
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Probability of pedestrian fatality for different
age groups at different collision speeds
Source: Davis (2001)
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Speeds will have to be reduced – but how?
• According to traffic safety research humps and raised
pedestrian crossings would be feasible and low cost
measures to reduce vehicle speeds and thereby
reduce pedestrian injury accidents
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Proposed Standardised Traffic Calmed
intersections
Traffic Calmed Standardised T- and Four Arm Intersection
Raised area for pedestrians
Hump – 3,6 m wide, circular top, 10 cm high at its peak,
located 10-14 m in advance of the pedestrian crossing.
Zebra crossing
Raised Zebra crossing - Flat top, 5 m wide, 10 cm high, 1 m
ramp
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
• Low costs
• Humps entrances
• Raised pedestrian
crossings at exits
• Raised footpaths at
corners
• Medians (with passage)
and pedestrian crossings
are moved closer to the
intersection
The Watts hump is circular-shaped and
reduces speed to appr. 30km/h
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Raised pedestrian crossing with similar
effect as the hump
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Effects on accidents of speed-reducing devices
according to meta-analysis by Elvik (2009).
• At humps injury accidents are reduced by 41% (-57;-34)
• Raised pedestrian crossings vs ordinary pedestrian
crossing reduce pedestrian injury accidents by 42%
(-70;+11)
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Would these measures work in Jaipur?
• As decisions regarding implementations were not made in
time – expected behaviour had to be estimated by
comparing similar types of humps in Jaipur and in Sweden
• AND the speed reducing behaviours were very similar
• Indications that humps in India preferably could be shorter
than in Sweden but the correct height to length relation will
of course have to be tested out.
• At humps in Jaipur, MC speeds were on average 4 km/h
(2,5mph) higher than car speeds.
• Speed breakers – “too efficient”
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Conclusions
• Speed as the key factor for pedestrian safety is universal
• The correct measures have to be adapted to the prevailing
traffic conditions
• The proposed measures slow down traffic both when
entering and exiting the intersections
• Improve safety and accessibility by locating pedestrian
crossings so they become attractive to use for pedestrians
• All-in-all – A large scale implementation of the Proposed
Standardised Traffic Calmed Intersections has the
requirements of improving safety, accessibility and quality
of life for all pedestrians
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
References
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Anderson R.W.G., McLean A.J., Farmer M.J.B., Lee B.H., Brooks C.G.; Vehicle travel speeds
and incidence of fatal pedestrian crashes. AA&P, Vol 29, No 5, pp 667-674, 1997.
Davis, G. (2001) “Relating severity of pedestrian injury to impact speed in vehicle-pedestrian
crashes”, Transportation Research Records: Journal of the Transportation research Board,
Volume 1773 / 2001, pp. 108-113
Elvik, R., Christensen, P., Amundsen, A. (2004) “Speed and road accidents – An evaluation
of the Power Model”, TØI report 740/2004, Oslo
Elvik, R., Erke, A., Sørensen and Vaa, T. (2009) “Handbook of Road Safety Measures”, TØI,
Oslo
Gudjonsson, H. (2011) Samband mellan skadeutfall hos påkörda oskyddade trafikanter och
hastighetsnivå på olycksplatsen. Presentation på Transportforum, Linköping, 2011-01-12.
Hydén, C. (1987). The development of a method for traffic safety evaluation: the Swedish
traffic conflict technique, Bulletin 70, Department of Traffic Planning and Engineering, Lund
University, Lund
Hydén, C., Svensson, Å. (2009) “Traffic Calming in India – Report on the theory of Traffic
Calming and empirical trials in the city of Jaipur”, Bulletin 252, Lund Institute of Technology,
Department of Technology and Society, Traffic and Roads, Lund
Nilsson, G. (2004) “Traffic safety dimensions and the Power Model to describe the effect of
speed on safety”, Bulletin 221, Lund Institute of Technology, Department of Technology and
Society, Traffic Engineering, Lund
WHO (2009) “Global status report on road safety: time for action”. Geneva, World Health
Organization, 2009 (www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2009).
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Thank you!
Åse Svensson
[email protected]
www.tft.lth.se
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Effects on accidents of speed-reducing devices
according to metaanalysis by Elvik (2009).
Accident severity
Percentage change in the number of accidents
95%
Best
confidence
Types of accidents affected
estimate
interval
Speed humps
Injury accidents
All accidents on roads with speed humps
-41
(-57; -34)
Injury accidents
All accidents on roads nearby roads with
speed humps
-7
(-14; -0)
+5
(-34; +68)
-33
(-40; -25)
-27
(-30; -24)
Raised junctions
Injury accidents
Accidents at junctions
Rumble strips in front of junctions
Injury accidents
Accidents at junctions
Speed zones
Injury accidents
All accidents
Source: Elvik et al. (2009)
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Effects on accidents of traffic control
measures for pedestrians
Accident severity
Percentage change in the number of accidents
95%
Best
confidence
Types of accidents affected
estimate
interval
Marked crosswalk
Injury accidents
Pedestrian accidents, two-lane roads
-8
(-43; +51)
Injury accidents
Pedestrian accidents, multi-lane roads
+88
(-32; +424)
Injury accidents
Pedestrian accidents, all roads
+44
(-6; +121)
-65
(-83; -27)
Raised crosswalk vs. no crosswalk
Injury accidents
All accidents
Raised crosswalk vs. ordinary marked crosswalk
Injury accidents
Pedestrian accidents
-42
(-70; +11)
Refuge in marked crosswalk vs. ordinary marked crosswalk
Injury accidents
Pedestrian accidents
Source: Elvik et al. (2009)
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
-43
(-71; +12)
Pedestrian injury in relation to pedestrian
age and mean speed at the site
100
Minor injury
Severe injury
Fatal acc.
Lindrigt skadade
Svårt skadade
Dödsolyckor
Mean speed at the site (km/h)
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
Age
Source: Gudjonsson (2011)
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60
70
80
90
100