NYMTC Regional Pedestrian Safety Study - New York Metropolitan ...

environment is a contributing factor; children are most often hit where volumes are high and
there are many parked cars.
Comments from this region indicated that children have no sense that traffic is moving faster
than they are. They are not taught how to be safe at intersections with atypical configurations.
Safety City (operated by NYCDOT) and Safety Town (operated by Nassau County Police
Department) do a good job at educating the children, but they cannot handle all of the children
who need the training.
People who work with children listed the following behavior problems:
• Dart outs
• Children who are not mature enough to walk safely are on the streets without supervision
• Children do not look for turning cars at intersections
It was noted that in some neighborhoods, children are more afraid of gangs and pit bulls than of
traffic. As a result, if they see a threatening situation at the corner (or between themselves and
the corner) they may choose to cross the street mid-block rather than confront the gangs or dogs
to get to the intersection.
The number of children who have been hit by large vehicles backing up has been increasing.
The drivers cannot see the children; the children assume that they are seen. This is true for
passenger vehicles (SUVs), buses, and large trucks. A study using data from death certificates
indicates that the age group most often killed in backing crashes is the one to four year olds
(NHTSA, 2004).
Seniors
The highest fatality rate for pedestrians killed in traffic crashes is for the 80 year and older group,
followed by the 70 to 79 year olds. People over 65 represent 12 percent of the population, but 20
percent of pedestrian fatalities. However, the injury rate for the older age groups is not as high
as younger adults and considerably lower than that of children. The difference is caused by the
frailer bodies of the older pedestrian; in a traffic crash entailing a specific level of energy, the
older person has a higher probability of being killed (NSCA, 2006). The older pedestrian in the
NYMTC region has a worse safety record than the national record; the fatality rate of the oldest
age group per 100,000 residents in the region is more than twice the national rate (6.8 versus 3.1;
see Figure 2.4 in Chapter 2).
Research on the older pedestrian shows that functional capabilities among them vary
considerably, with some seniors in excellent condition and others barely able to walk. However,
there are certain problems that affect safe walking that tend to develop and get worse with age.
These include cognitive, sensory (particularly vision), and physical problems, which affect
walking in the following ways (Oxley et al., 2004):
• Walking speeds slow
• Balance and agility decrease
NYMTC Pedestrian Safety Study 38