Characteristics Related to Midblock Pedestrian-Vehicle Crashes and Potential Treatments
"Reducing pedestrian crashes is a top priority for transportation professionals. Crashes occurring between motorists and pedestrians at midblock locations are frequent and in need of further investigation. The purpose of this exploratory study is to gain an understanding of the characteristics of midblock pedestrian crashes for use in determining appropriate safety treatments. The primary objective was to compare midblock and intersection crashes in light of their roadway characteristics, environment, and characteristics of the involved parties to provide information on the most common factors related to midblock crashes. The researchers used databases from KY, FL, and NC to determine which crash variable categories have significantly higher proportions at midblock locations as opposed to intersections. A descriptive analysis of the distribution of the crashes was compared across the two crash groups. The results of a t-test determined the significance of differences of means observed between the two crash groups.
"The results of this study show an agreement that several variables (such as lighting conditions and divided versus undivided roads) are similarly distributed amongst both midblock and intersection crashes. Furthermore, the study highlighted the categories within the variables tested with significantly higher proportions in midblock crashes as opposed to intersection crashes in one or more of the databases. These include two-lane roads, younger male pedestrians involved in the crash, residential land use patterns, and rural crash locations. This paper resulted in identifying areas and variables where further research is appropriate, particularly with respect to finding appropriate safety treatments for midblock locations."
