A Multilevel Model Approach for Investigating Individual Accident Characteristics and Neighborhood Environment Characteristics Affecting Pedestrian-Vehicle Crashes

Abstract

Walking is the most basic movement of humans and the most fundamental mode of transportation. To promote walking, it is necessary to create a safe environment for pedestrians. However, pedestrian-vehicle crashes still remain relatively high in South Korea. This study employs a multilevel model to examine the differences between the lower-level individual characteristics of pedestrian crashes and the upper-level neighborhood environmental characteristics in Seoul, South Korea. The main results of this study are as follows. The individual characteristics of pedestrian-vehicle crashes are better at explaining pedestrian injury severity than built environment characteristics at the neighborhood level. Older pedestrians and drivers suffer more severe pedestrian injuries. Larger vehicles such as trucks and vans are more likely to result in a high severity of pedestrian injuries. Pedestrian injuries increase during inclement weather and at night. The severity of pedestrian injuries is lower at intersections and crosswalks without traffic signals than at crosswalks and intersections with traffic signals. Finally, school zones and silver zones, which are representative policies for pedestrian safety in South Korea, fail to play a significant role in reducing the severity of pedestrian injuries. The results of this study can guide policymakers and planners when making decisions on how to build neighborhoods that are safer for pedestrians.

Operationalizing the structural vulnerability profile within the medical examiner context

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Analysis of Vehicle-Pedestrian Accident Risk Based on Simulation Experiments

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Towards Healthy Aging: Influence of the Built Environment on Elderly Pedestrian Safety at the Micro-Level

“…If older people can remain mobile and care for themselves longer, the costs for long-term care will be lower [ 3 ]. Walking, which is beneficial for both the physical and mental health of older people, has been widely acknowledged as the best exercise for the elderly [ 4 ]. However, as one of the most vulnerable road user groups, the elderly are more likely to be injured in road crashes when walking on streets due mainly to their declining physical and perceptual capabilities.…”