Conspicuity of Pedestrians at Night: How to Maximize Visibility and Safety (poster)

Publication date: December 2017 Source:Journal of Transport & Health, Volume 7, Supplement Author(s): Jasmine Mian, Jeff Caird Problem The walkability of city neighborhoods is affected by a number of environmental factors including pedestrian safety at night. Insufficient conspicuity or visibility of pedestrians at night by drivers is a fundamental contributor to injuries and fatalities. Pedestrians are considered vulnerable road users and account for about one-fifth or 270,000 of the people killed each year on roads worldwide. Sixty percent of the pedestrian fatalities that occurred in Canada between 2004 and 2008 occurred at night or in reduced lighting. Pedestrians are most at risk during the first hour of darkness and twilight. Dark conditions reduce pedestrian conspicuity, making it harder for pedestrians to ‘stand out’ from their environment and more difficult for drivers to see, which contributes to collisions. Intervention The use of retro-reflective clothing is an effective way for pedestrians to make themselves more conspicuous to drivers. Relative to other kinds of interventions, retro-reflective material on clothing is a simple and cost-effective way to alert drivers to pedestrian presence and behaviour. Retro-reflective clothing enhances biological motion perception and increases detection and identification of pedestrians at night. The material is often found on active wear (e.g., running shoes, jackets, backpacks) and safety apparel (e.g., safe...
Source: Journal of Transport and Health - Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research