A methodology for understanding pedestrian safety problems and for developing solutions

The Monash University Accident Research Centre was commissioned by VicRoads to develop countermeasure options for an innovative, pedestrian program for the City of Stonnington, a large metropolitan municipality of Melbourne. This paper describes the methodology developed. The study required the development of an approach to identifying and analysing pedestrian crash problems within a local government area of Melbourne. It also required the formulation of countermeasure options to reduce pedestrian crash and injury risk, including engineering, enforcement, education and promotion initiatives. A key aim of the study was to realise the synergistic benefits of partnerships between local government and the leading agencies in road safety in Victoria. It involved the characterisation of pedestrian crash problems throughout the municipality and a more detailed analysis and investigation of ten specific locations chosen on the basis of high clustering of pedestrian casualty crashes. These analyses resulted in the main crash types and circumstances being identified, and hypotheses about contributing factors, leading ultimately to the identification and development of the WalkSafe pedestrian program targeting the major crash types. A methodology was developed for evaluating the effectiveness of the program overall and of selected measures in reducing pedestrian and driver behaviours associated with pedestrian crash or injury risk. The main features of the evaluation methodology are briefly described. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see IRRD abstract no. 492019.