Pedestrian Safety Assessments and Observations

Comm 509: Health Communication Dissemination

Spring 2012

A pedestrian or bicyclist is killed every 4 minutes1

Individuals aged 18-25 have the highest rates of pedestrian-related injuries and fatalities2:– More than 30,000 injuries in 20093

– More than 4,000 fatalities in 20093

Pedestrian Safety Background

1Short, J. R., & Pinet-Peralta, L. M. (2010). No accident: Traffic and pedestrians in the modern city. Motilities, 5, 41-59. doi:10.1080/17450100903434998

2Redmon, T. (2003).  Assessing the attitudes and behaviors of pedestrians and drivers in traffic situations.  Institute of Transportation Engineers Journal, 73, 26-30.

3National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). (2009). Traffic safety facts. Retrieved January 25, 2012, from http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811394.pdf

Save a Life

Presented by: Zac Goldman

Speeding is the third leading cause of car crashes4

– In West Virginia, 356 fatalities were due to speeding in 20094

– Nationally, ~13,000 fatalities occur annually4

Texting while driving increases the chance of a crash by 23 times4

Save a Life: Background

4National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). (2009). Traffic safety facts. Retrieved January 25, 2012, from http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811394.pdf

Survey (167 participants) Focus groups (13 participants) 2 individual interviews

Save a Life: Methods

Speeding Findings– 48% of survey respondents indicated they would

speed in the next year– 100% of focus group participants stated speeding is

common in Morgantown Texting Findings

– Approximately 60% of survey respondents reported they would text while driving in the next year

– 77% of focus group participants also indicated that they have texted while driving and 62% will continue to do so

Save a Life: Formative Research Results

Save a Life: Message

Did you know?Speeding is a

major contributing

factor in 31% of all fatal crashes.Save a life.

Don’t speed and drive.

Please Cross Responsibly

Presented by: Rebecca K. DiClemente-Drain

Audience Analysis– 200 intercept surveys– 3 focus groups (14 participants)– 1 individual interview

Message Testing– 2 focus groups (9 participants)

Please Cross Responsibly: Methods

Survey Participants 27% reported they think cell phone use is

risky for pedestrians 91% admitted to talking on a cell phone

while walking 93% admitted to texting on a cell phone

while walking

Please Cross Responsibly: Results

Focus Group Participants 100% admitted to engaging in distracted

walking 100% agreed they were capable of

avoiding distracted walking 100% reported they must feel threatened

or be personally affected to avoid distracting behaviors

Please Cross Responsibly: Results

Please Cross Responsibly: Campaign

Give Drivers a Hand

Presented by: Erik Neville

Intent to cross is difficult to recognize Intervention in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

– “Increasing Driver Yielding and Pedestrian Signaling with Prompting, Feedback, and Reinforcement”5

• Increased yielding and signaling by 20%• Implemented on two dangerous streets• Similar size and population as Morgantown

Give Drivers a Hand: Background

5Van Houten, R., Louis Malenfant, J. E., & Rolider, A. (1985). Increasing driver yielding and pedestrian signaling with prompting, feedback, and enforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 18, 103-110

Crosswalk observations (10 hours) Intercept interviews with pedestrians

(99 participants)– Crossing behaviors– Beliefs about safety– Attitude toward signaling– Perceptions of most/least likely to yield

Give Drivers a Hand: Data Collection

45% of drivers actually yielded at crosswalks– 38% of pedestrians believed drivers typically

yield 18% of pedestrians reported being hit 65% reported near misses 77% reported willingness to use a hand

signal– 75% reported that it would be easy to remember

Give Drivers a Hand: Observational Research and Onsite Interview Results

Tagline: Give Drivers a Hand

Pamphlet: 5 Great Reasons to Yield to Pedestrians

Give Drivers a Hand: Messages

For more information, please contact:– Save a Life

• Melissa Ceo, Zac Goldman, Brittany Swope, Anna Wagenhouser

– Please Cross Responsibly• Nick Coradetti, Rebecca DiClemente, Kaitlyn Gibbons, Jessica Kirk

– Give Drivers a Hand• Shelly Dusic, Alannah Maxwell, Erik Neville, Melody Thomas

– Course Instructor• Maria Brann

– Maria.Brann@mail.wvu.edu– 304.293.3905

Questions and/or Comments