The urgent need for traffic calming measures for pedestrians in India
Åse SvenssonPhD Traffic Engineering
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
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
• 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 collision2) 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
Source: Davis (2001)
Probability of pedestrian fatality for different age groups at different collision speeds
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
• 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
Proposed Standardised Traffic Calmed intersections
Hump – 3,6 m wide, circular top, 10 cm high at its peak, located 10-14 m in advance of the pedestrian crossing.
Raised area for pedestrians
Zebra crossingRaised Zebra crossing -Flat top, 5 m wide, 10 cm high, 1 m ramp
Traffic Calmed Standardised T- and Four Arm Intersection
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
The Watts hump is circular-shaped and reduces speed to appr. 30km/h
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
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• 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!
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Percentage change in the number of accidents
Accident severity Types of accidents affected Best
estimate
95% confidence
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)
Raised junctions Injury accidents Accidents at junctions +5 (-34; +68)
Rumble strips in front of junctions Injury accidents Accidents at junctions -33 (-40; -25)
Speed zones Injury accidents All accidents -27 (-30; -24)
Effects on accidents of speed-reducing devices according to metaanalysis by Elvik (2009).
Source: Elvik et al. (2009)
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Percentage change in the number of accidents
Accident severity Types of accidents affected Best
estimate
95% confidence
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)
Raised crosswalk vs. no crosswalk Injury accidents All accidents -65 (-83; -27)
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 -43 (-71; +12)
Effects on accidents of traffic control measures for pedestrians
Source: Elvik et al. (2009)
Lund University / LTH / Transport and Roads / Åse Svensson
Pedestrian injury in relation to pedestrian age and mean speed at the site
Source: Gudjonsson (2011)