Items Under Tag: pedestrians

Towards an integrated approach of pedestrian behaviour and exposure – 2015

A paper titled ‘Towards an integrated approach of pedestrian behaviour and exposure’ authored by Eleonora Papadimitriou is now published in Accident Analysis & Prevention. An integrated methodology for the analysis of pedestrian behaviour and exposure is proposed. The paper builds on existing research on pedestrian exposure, namely the Routledge microscopic indicator, and uses integrated choice and latent variables (ICLV) models of pedestrian behaviour, taking into account road, traffic and human factors. The method is tested with data from a field survey in Athens, Greece, which used pedestrian behaviour observations as well as a questionnaire on human factors of pedestrian behaviour. The results suggest that both pedestrian behaviour and exposure are largely defined by a small number of factors: road type, traffic volume and pedestrian risk-taking. The probability for risk-taking behaviour and the related exposure decrease in less demanding road and traffic environments. A synthesis of the results reveals conditions of increased risk exposure: principal urban arterials (where risk-taking behaviour is low but the related exposure is very high) and minor arterials (where risk-taking behaviour is more frequent, and the related exposure is still high). A “paradox” of increased risk-taking behaviour of pedestrians with low exposure is found, suggesting that these pedestrians may compensate in moderate traffic conditions due to their increased walking speed.

Pedestrians’ Road Safety – EU facts & figures 2015

Road Safety of Pedestrians in the EU is highlighted at the Traffic Safety Basic Facts 2015 available at the European Road Safety Observatory of the European Commission. These Traffic Safety Basic Facts contain a comprehensive series of statistical tables with the latest available data from the CARE database of the European Commission. In 2013, 5.712 pedestrians were killed in road accidents in the EU, which is 22% of all fatalities. In the last decade, in the European Union, pedestrian fatalities were reduced by 37%, while the total number of fatalities was reduced by almost 45%.

ETSC – Europe must boost safety for cyclists and walkers 2015

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has just published the PIN Flash Report ‘M aking walking and cycling on Europe’s Roads Safer‘, with the contribution of NTUA.Around 138,400 pedestrians and cyclists lost their lives on EU roads between 2001 and 2013. Deaths of unprotected road users have been decreasing at a slower rate than those of vehicle occupants. In the last ten years deaths among pedestrians decreased by 41%, those among cyclists by 37% and those among power two wheeler (PTW) users by 34% compared to a 53% decrease for vehicle occupants. Since 2010 the reduction in the number of pedestrian and cyclist deaths has slowed down markedly. The safety of unprotected road users should therefore receive special attention from policymakers at the national and European levels.

NTUA – IFSTTAR – Modelling Pedestrian Behaviour Workshop – Paris 2015

A Workshop on Observation and Modelling of Pedestrian Behaviour in Urban Areas organised by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and the French Institute of Science and Technology for Transport, Development and Networks (IFSTTAR) took place with great success in Marne-la-Valée – Paris, on 4 May 2015, within the framework of the Post Doctoral research project “PEDMOD- Models of pedestrian behaviour and safety” of NTUA Research Associate Dr. Eleonora Papadimitriou. The objective of the Workshop was the analysis of the state of the art on pedestrian behaviour observation and modelling, through the exchange of experiences in implementing meaningful pedestrian behaviour measurements, testing novel methodologies to explore pedestrian strategies, choices and behavioural patterns, and developing flexible and robust models to predict and understand pedestrian walking and crossing behaviour in urban areas.

All presentations are now available:

The PEDMOD research project – Overview (George Yannis – NTUA)

Analysis of pedestrian trajectories: behavioural patterns and individual practices (Sylvain Lassarre – IFSTTAR)

Integration of human factors in pedestrian crossing choice models (Eleonora Papadimitriou – NTUA)

Methods for observing pedestrian behaviour: ethologic observation and declared questionnaire (Marie-Axelle Granié – IFSTTAR)

Observation of children pedestrian behaviours – the ESSAIM project (Marie-Soleil Cloutier – INRS)

Pedestrian trajectories in stations (Zoi Christoforou & Pierre Argoul – LVMT/ENPC)

Pedestrian behaviour through experimental studies on street-crossing simulator (Aurelie Dommes – IFSTTAR)

Modelling for the pedestrians simulation (Jean-Michel Auberlet – IFSTTAR)

Akis Theofilatos obtained the NTUA Thomaidion Award 2015

Athanasios Theofilatos, NTUA PhD Candidate and Researcher at the Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering in the School of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens, obtained theNTUA Thomaidion Αward 2013 for the publication of the paper titled “Pedestrian Gap Acceptance for Mid-Block Street Crossing”, co-authored by Prof. George Yannis and Dr. Eleonora Papadimitriou in the Journal of Transportation Planning and Technology.

Simulation of Pedestrians and Motorised Traffic: existing research and future challenges – 2014

A paper titled ‘Simulation of Pedestrians and Motorised Traffic: existing research and future challenges‘ co-authored by Eleonora Papadimitriou, Jean Michael Auberlet, Sylvain Lassarrre and George Yannis is now published in International Journal of Interdisciplinary Telecommunications and Networking. The objective of this paper is the analysis of the state of the art in pedestrian simulation models and the identification of key issues for further research, with particular focus on the modelling of pedestrians and motorised traffic. A review and a comparative assessment of pedestrian simulation models are carried out, including macroscopic models, earlier meso- and miscosimulation models (mostly in Cellular Automata) and more recent Multi-Agent simulation models. The reviewed models cover a broad range of research topics: pedestrian flow and level of service, crowd dynamics and evacuations, route choice etc. However, pedestrian movement in urban areas and the interactions between pedestrians and vehicles have received notably less attention. A number of challenges to be addressed in future research are outlined: first, the need to and account for the hierarchical behavioural model of road users (strategic / tactical / operational behaviour); second, the need for appropriate description and parameterization of vehicle and pedestrian networks and their crossing points; third, the need to exploit in the simulation models the results of statistical and probabilistic models, which offer valuable insight in the determinants of pedestrian behaviour. In each case, recent studies towards addressing these challenges are outlined.

Road fatalities by transport mode, Greece 2012

According to ELSTAT data, 29% of road fatalities are motorcycle riders, whereas 39% of road fatalities are passenger car occupants. Most car occupant fatalities occur outside built-up areas while most motorcycle and pedestrian fatalities occur inside built-up areas.

NHTSA launches pedestrian safety initiative 2013

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are working hard to raise awareness of the dangers to pedestrians, and to provide leadership, expertise, and resources to communities across America to combat these crashes. Everyone has different preferences when it comes to transportation, but there’s one that all road users share – everyone is a pedestrian. ‘Everyone is a pedestrian’ initiative urges parents, caregivers, educators, traffic safety officials, and advocates to make the most of pedestrian safety resources to improve the quality of life in their communities.

University of Brescia – Living and Walking in Cities Conference, Brescia 2013

The International Conference ‘Living and Walking in Cities’, organised by the Università degli Studi di Brescia and the Friendly City Study Center (CeSCAm) took place on 13-14 June in Brescia, with the participation of more than 100 experts in the fields. Twenty years after the first Road Safety Forum, held in Brescia in June 1993, the Conference came back to the issues relating to the vulnerable users’ road safety. CeSCAm Director, Professor Roberto Busi stated that there is an urgent need to incorporate mobility and safety needs of walking and cycling in the continuous urban planning process.

NTUA Professor George Yannis presented the “State of the Art on Road Safety“, highlighting basic facts on urban road safety, the needs for road safety knowledge, the key road safety research priorities and the fundamental urban road safety choices to be made by citizens and Authorities in the European cities.

5th European Road Safety Day: Pedestrian Safety 2013

During the 5th European Road Safety Day on May 6th, 2013 organised by the European Commission, a conference dedicated to reducing pedestrian fatalities in urban areas was held in Brussels. Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas said: “The EU has an outstanding road safety record in global comparison. But every death is one too many. Pedestrians and cyclists are facing the biggest risks in urban areas. And these risks are likely to increase rather than decrease with ever rising traffic volumes in our growing cities. This is why we are addressing this issue pro-actively on the occasion of the European Road Safety Day and the UN Global Road Safety Week“.

At this Conference, the Commission’s work on several measures specifically linked to the safety of vulnerable road users and urban road safety have been demonstrated together with key presentations by road safety experts and representatives of the major international road-safety organisations.

WHO Pedestrian Safety Manual 2013

The good practice manual, titled ‘Pedestrian Safety: A road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners’jointly prepared by GRSP, WHO, the FIA Foundation and the World Bank, is now available on the website of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration. Each year, more than 270.000 pedestrians lose their lives on the world’s roads. Globally, pedestrians constitute 22% of all road traffic fatalities, and in some countries this proportion is as high as two thirds of all road traffic deaths.The manual stresses the importance of a comprehensive, holistic approach that includes enforcement, engineering and education.

UN / WHO – The Long Short Walk 2013

The Long Short Walk is a fun activity with a serious aim, it is part of the Zenani Campaign and is in support of UN Global Road Safety week on 6-12 May 2013, themed around pedestrian safety. The Second UN Global Road Safety Week from 6-12 May 2013 is led by the World Health Organization, UN regional commissions and members of the UN Road Safety Collaboration. The week coincides with the second anniversary of the Decade of Action for Road Safety. In support of UN Global Road Safety Week The Long Short Walk aims to bring together people and groups from around the world to call for action to protect pedestrians.

UN Road Safety Week on Pedestrian Safety 2013

The second United Nations Global Road Safety Week is dedicated topedestrian safety and will be held 6-12 May 2013. The Road Safety Week will draw attention to the urgent need to better protect pedestrians worldwide, generate action on the measures needed to do so, and contribute to achieving the goal of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, to save 5 million lives. Useful resources and ideas for pedestrian safety are proposed: Activities, Design Guides, Guidelines, Policy, Research Reports.

Patterns of pedestrian attitudes, perceptions and behaviour in Europe 2013

A paper titled ‘Patterns of pedestrian attitudes, perceptions and behaviour in Europe‘ co-authored by Eleonora Papadimitriou, Athanasios Theofilatos and George Yannis is just published in the Safety Science Journal. The paper aims to identify patterns of pedestrian attitudes, perceptions and behaviour in Europe, on the basis of the results of the SARTRE 4 (Social Attitudes to Road Traffic Risk in Europe) pan-European survey carried out in late 2010 and early 2011. The results revealed eight components, from which six are associated with pedestrian attitudes and two with pedestrian behaviour and were further analysed for different countries and different age and gender groups.

Pedestrians’ Road Safety – EU facts & figures 2012

Road Safety of Pedestrians in the EU is highlighted at the Traffic Safety Basic Facts 2012 available at the Road Safety Knowledge System of the DACOTA project within the framework of the European Road Safety Observatory of the European Commission. 5.582 pedestrians were killed in road traffic accidents in the EU countries in 2010, which is 20% of all fatalities. This figure represents a 39% decrease in relation to the 9.130 pedestrian fatalities since ten years before in 2001.

Analysis of Pedestrian Exposure to Risk in Relation to Crossing Behaviour 2012

A paper titled ‘Analysis of Pedestrian Exposure to Risk in Relation to Crossing Behaviour‘ co-authored by E.Papadimitriou, G.Yannis and J.Golias is published in the Transportation Research Board. The objective of this research was to analyze pedestrian exposure to risk along urban trips in relation to pedestrian crossing behavior. The results showed that exposure to risk for pedestrians along a trip was significantly affected by the pedestrians’ crossing choices, as well as by road and traffic characteristics. Results also revealed that pedestrians with increased walking speed might have partly compensated for their exposure to risk so that the risk was not significantly affected by traffic volume.

Pedestrians’ Road Safety – EU facts & figures 2011

Road Safety of Pedestrians in the EU is highlighted at the Traffic Safety Basic Facts 2011 recently released at the European Road Safety Observatory of the European Commission as prepared by the DACOTA project. 6.641 pedestrians were killed in road traffic accidents in the EU countries in 2009, which is 20% of all fatalities. This figure represents a 34% decrease in relation to the 9.476 pedestrian fatalities since ten years before in 2000.

A GIS-based methodology for identifying pedestrians’ crossing patterns 2011

A paper titled “A GIS-based methodology for identifying pedestrians’ crossing patterns” co-authored by S.Lassare, E.Bonnet, F.Bodin, E.Papadimitriou, G.Yannis and J.Golias is just published in the scientific journal: Computers, Environment and Urban Systems. The objective of this research is the development and testing of appropriate indicators of pedestrian crossing behavior along urban trips, and a methodology for collecting and processing the data required for the analysis of this behavior. The results suggest specific patterns of pedestrian crossing behavior, such as the tendency to cross at the beginning of the trip and the tendency to cross at mid-block locations when signalized junctions are not available. The results are further discussed in terms of urban planning and management implications. It is concluded that the proposed approach is very efficient for the analysis of pedestrian crossing behavior in urban areas.

About pedestrian safety in Europe 2011

A research titled ‘About pedestrian safety in Europe’ co-authored by E.Papadimitriou, G.Yannis and P.Evgenikos from NTUA, was published in the Journal Advances in Transportation Studies in July 2011. Data on pedestrians’ fatalities for the period 1997-2006 from 19 EU countries, extracted from the EU CARE database, were associated with basic road safety factors like pedestrian’s age and gender (with particular focus on children and the elderly), lighting conditions, area type (inside / outside urban area) as well as seasonality. The results suggest that, although pedestrian fatalities in Europe present a decreasing trend, pedestrian fatality rates are still increased in Southern European countries, as well as in the new Member States.

Pedestrians’ Road Safety – EU facts & figures 2010

Road Safety of Pedestrians in the EU is highlighted at the Traffic Safety Basic Facts 2010 recently released at the European Road Safety Observatory of the European Commission as prepared by the DACOTA project. 7.638 pedestrians were killed in road traffic accidents in the EU countries in 2008, which is 20.4 % of all fatalities. This figure represents a 25% decrease in relation to the 10.278 pedestrian fatalities since ten years before in 1999.

ITF Report – Pedestrian Safety, Urban Space and Health 2011

The International Transport Forum (ITF/OECD) published the Research Report on Pedestrian Safety, Urban Space and Health. This Report is the result of a three-year co-operative effort by an international group of experts representing 19 countries, chaired by NTUA Professor Thanos Vlastos and with contribution from NTUA Research Associate Eleonora Papadimitriou. The purpose of this report is to emphasize the importance of walking as an integral part of the transport system and the vital need for policies to promote walking at all levels of planning. National governments and transport and health ministers can do much to support and encourage walking, even when it is considered to be mainly a local policy issue. A clear vision and political support at national level, backed by a systematic approach to understanding and defining infrastructure quality for pedestrians, is an important complement to and support for initiatives taken by local authorities. On that purpose a comprehensive set of twelve recommendations is proposed.

Road fatalities by road user type, European Union 2008

Car drivers are the largest road user group among road fatalities in all EU-23 countries. Together with car passengers they account for 50% of all fatalities. The proportion of motorcycle fatalities in Greece is 25%, the largest in all EU-23 countries.

Unprotected Road Users Left Behind 2011

In May 2011, ETSC published a PIN Flash concerning unprotected road users. At least 15,300 pedestrians, cyclists and motorcycle riders were killed in the EU in 2009, and 169,000 since 2001. Deaths among pedestrians and cyclists decreased by 34% between 2001 and 2009 and those among PTW riders by only 18%, compared with 39 % for car drivers.

Measuring Walking Safety 2010

The 11th International Walk21 Conference was held in The Hague, The Netherlands, November 16-19 2010. NTUA presented ‘Evolution of pedestrian safety in urban areas in the OECD countries‘.

Road fatalities by transport mode, Greece 2009

Almost half of fatalities are passenger car occupants. Another 28% of fatalities are motorcycle riders. Most car occupant fatalities occur outside built-up areas while most motorcycle and pedestrian fatalities occur inside built-up areas. Accident severity is higher outside built-up areas for all transport modes.

Road fatalities by age, gender, road user type, Greece 2009

According to the data male drivers account for more than 60% of all road fatalities in Greece, while young male drivers account for more than 50% of all male driver fatalities. Older drivers account for more than 50% of pedestrian fatalities.

5th International Congress on Transport Research in Greece, Volos 2010

The 5th International Congress on Transport Research was organised by the Hellenic Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Hellenic Institute of Transport and the University of Thessaly and took place in Volos, Greeece in September 2010. At the road safety sessions quite a few interesting papers were presented, some of them concerning research carried out by NTUA.

NTUA road safety presentations concerned:

Drivers attitudes towards new technology applications in road safety

Analysis of pedestrian crossing behaviour in urban areas

Calculation of the underreporting level of road accident casualties in Greece

Transport Research in Lisbon 2010

The 12th World Conference on Transport Research was held in Lisbon, Portugal. At the road safety sessions quite a few interesting papers were presented, some of them concerning research carried out by NTUA.

NTUA road safety presentations concerned:

Modelling Intelligent Speed Adaptation

Road infrastructure and Safety of Power Two Wheelers

Pedestrian gap acceptance for mid-block street crossing

Cell phone use and traffic characteristics

Comparative analysis of junction safety in Europe

Theoretical framework for modeling pedestrians crossing behavior along a trip 2010

A research titled ‘Theoretical framework for modeling pedestrians crossing behavior along a trip’ co-authored by E.Papadimitriou, G.Yannis and J.Golias from NTUA was published in ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering in April 2010. A topological approach of pedestrian trip characteristics and crossing decisions is proposed, allowing consideration of distinct patterns of crossing behavior along a trip. Specific techniques from the family of discrete choice models are proposed for determining the number and location of pedestrians’ crossings, accounting for the hierarchical and dynamic nature of pedestrians’ decisions along a trip and a field survey method is presented.

Pedestrian behaviour and safety models in urban road networks 2010

A Ph.D. Thesis titled ‘Pedestrian behaviour and safety models in urban road networks‘ was presented by Eleonora Papadimitriou in February 2010. A topological consideration of the urban road network was opted for, allowing to identify basic properties of pedestrian trips and crossings, an algorithm was also developed for the estimation of the choice sets related to crossing decisions along a trip and a discrete choice modeling approach is proposed for crossing choices. The proposed methodology was demonstrated by means of models implementation on a typical urban trip for different scenarios.

A critical assessment of pedestrian behaviour models 2009

A research titled ‘A critical assessment of pedestrian behaviour models’ co-authored by E.Papadimitriou, G.Yannis and J.Golias from NTUA by was published in the Journal Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour in 2009. In this paper an exhaustive review of the existing route choice models for pedestrians is presented. The results of this review reveal a lack of an overall and detailed consideration of pedestrian behaviour along an entire trip in urban areas. Moreover, the need for an integrated approach based on flexibility, disaggregation and more determinism is identified.

Pedestrians & Cyclists – A Road Safety Synthesis 2009

The road safety problem of Pedestrians and Cyclists has been highlighted at the recently released synthesis of the European Road Safety Observatory as prepared by the SafetyNet project. Walking and cycling are transport modes where relatively unprotected road users interact with traffic of high speed and mass, 20-40% of all journeys are travelled by cycle or on foot. Of all traffic fatalities in EU countries, the proportion of pedestrian fatalities is about 17% and the proportion of cyclist fatalities is about 6%.

International Conference Road Safety and Simulation 2009

The International Conference Road Safety and Simulation took place in Paris, in October 2010.

NTUA presented ‘About pedestrian safety in Europe – 2009‘.

The objective of this research is to create an overall picture of pedestrians’ road safety in European countries, to identify factors associated with increased pedestrian fatality risk, and to propose countermeasures for the improvement of pedestrians road safety in Europe.

Pedestrian behaviour characteristics in urban roads 2009

A Diploma Thesis titled ‘Pedestrian behaviour characteristics in urban roads’, was presented by Sofia Tourou in July 2009. This diploma thesis has been awarded with the Ecocity award 2010. An experimental process in real road conditions was carried out. A linear regression model was developed to investigate the impact of certain parameters in the walking speed. A binary logistic model was also developed to investigate the impact of the parameters in the pedestrians’ decision on which section to cross and in the route choice. From the models application it appears that the age and the gender of the pedestrian, the low pedestrians’ flow and the choice of the most pleasant route have statistically significant impact to the walking speed. The pedestrians route choice is influenced by the possibility to walk often, the choice of the fastest route and the number of the direction’s changes.

Ιnvestigation of the minimum gap from the vehicle accepted by the pedestrian for urban street mid-block crossing 2009

A Diploma Thesis titled ‘Ιnvestigation of the minimum gap from the vehicle accepted by the pedestrian for urban street mid-block crossing’ was presented by Athanassios Theofilatos in March 2009. A lognormal regression model was developed in order to investigate the influence of certain parameters in the minimum pedestrian gap acceptance. It appeared that the distance from the vehicle, illegal nearby parking that may affect pedestrian’s visibility, the vehicle size and possible companions have statistically significant impact to the minimum gap acceptance. Concerning the choice to cross the road or not, the waiting time and the gap between the pedestrian and the vehicle strongly define his decision.

Assessment of pedestrian safety measures in Europe 2007

A research titled ‘Assessment of pedestrian safety measures in Europe’ co-authored by G.Yannis, G Kanellaidis, J.Dimitropoulos and N. Muhlrad was published in ITE Journal in December 2007. An extensive hierarchical inventory of pedestrian safety measures took place, classifying them according to the functions served and the main safety problems addressed. This comprehensive synthesis showed that mechanisms should be ensured for converting policy into practice at the level of “street design” and guaranteeing coordination between actors of different responsibilities and disciplinary backgrounds.

Modelling crossing behaviour and accident risk of pedestrians 2007

A research titled ‘Modelling crossing behaviour and accident risk of pedestrians’ co-authored by G.Yannis, J.Golias and E.Papadimitriou from NTUA, was published in the Journal of Transportation Engineering in November 2007. A methodology for modeling pedestrians crossing behavior along an urban trip is presented, as well as an algorithm for the estimation of accident risk along the trip. For that purpose, existing models are exploited and further developed.

Measuring accident risk exposure for pedestrians in different micro-environments 2007

A research titled ‘Measuring accident risk exposure for pedestrians in different micro-environments’ co-authored by S.Lassarre, E.Papadimitriou, G.Yannis and J.Golias was published in the Journal Accident Analysis and Prevention in November 2007. A model of pedestrians’ crossing behaviour along a trip is developed, based on a hierarchical choice between junctions and mid-block locations and taking account of origin and destination, traffic characteristics and pedestrian facilities. A complete framework is produced for modelling pedestrians’ exposure in the light of their crossing behaviour. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated on an artificial network and a first set of results is obtained from the validation of the models in observational studies.

Correlation of pedestrian safety impact parameters 2006

A Diploma Thesis titled ‘Correlation of pedestrian safety impact parameters’ was presented by Marianna Aggelidaki and Manos Vernandos in July 2006. The use of log-linear analysis was chosen and applied for the statistical analysis of data from roadaccidents involving pedestrians for the period 1996 – 2003 in Greece. The results of the analysis suggested that children under 15 years old and elderly over66 years old appear to have higher probabilities of fatal injury, while no relationship wasproved between the probability of fatal injury, gender and nationality of the pedestrian.

Investigation of pedestrian behavior in crossing an urban road section 2004

A Diploma Thesis titled ‘Investigation of pedestrian behavior in crossing an urban road section’ was presented by Kostantinos Makris in July 2004. The models used are Multinomial Logit Model, Discrete Choice Model and Nested Logit Model. The Nested Logit Model is the most appropriate for the description of pedestrian behavior, the application of which has led to the identification of the parameters’ impacts on the pedestrian choice.