Evaluation of the effectiveness of traffic calming measures on vehicle speeds and pedestrian injury severity in Ghana

Abstract

Objectives: Each year, pedestrian injuries constitute over 40% of all road casualty deaths and up to 60% of all urban road casualty deaths in Ghana. This is as a result of the overwhelming dependence on walking as a mode of transport in an environment where there is high vehicular speeds, and inadequate pedestrian facilities. The objectives of this research were to establish (1) the impact of traffic calming measures on vehicle speeds and (2) the association between traffic calming measures and pedestrians' injury severity in built-up areas in Ghana. Method: Vehicle speeds were unobtrusively measured in 38 selected settlements comprising 19 "with" and 19 "without" traffic calming schemes. The study design used in this research was a matched case-control. A regression analysis compared case and control casualties using a conditional logistic regression. Results: Generally, the mean vehicle speeds and the proportion of vehicles exceeding the 50 km/ hour speed limit were significantly lower in settlements which have traffic calming measures compared with towns without any traffic calming measures. Additionally, the proportion of motorists who exceeded the speed limit was 30% or less in settlements which have traffic calming devices whilst the proportion who exceeded the speed limit was 60% or more in towns without any traffic calming measures. The odds of pedestrian fatality was significantly higher in settlements which have no traffic calming devices compared to those which have, OR=1.98; (95% CI=1.09 to 4.43). The protective effects of a traffic calming scheme which has a speed table was notably higher than where there were no speed tables. Conclusion: It was clearly evident that traffic calming devices reduce vehicular speeds and for that matter, the incidence and severity of pedestrian injuries in built-up areas in Ghana. However, the fact that they are deployed on arterial roads is increasingly becoming a road safety concern. Given the emerging safety challenges associated with speed calming measures, we recommend their use to be restricted to residential streets but not on arterial roads. Long term solutions for improving pedestrian safety proposed herein include bypassing settlements along the highways to

Prevalence of alcohol use among road traffic crash victims presenting to a Malawian Central Hospital: A cross-sectional study

“…Legal blood alcohol limits for pedestrians will never be an issue, so preventive measures should aim at protecting these vulnerable road users from harmful impact. Speed control by building speed bumps and speed tables (Bishai and Hyder 2006;Damsere-Derry et al 2019) is shown to be very cost-effective, as well as increased law enforcement (Bishai et al 2008). Safer road crossings where vehicles are forced by physical interventions to lower their speed, are vital for pedestrian safety especially when pedestrians are intoxicated or behave irresponsibly (Gårder 2018).…”

“My right to walk, my right to live”: pedestrian fatalities, roads and environmental features in Benin

“…Thus, the importance of the environment and infrastructure measures and the need to implement road safety measures integrating the protection of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians have also been highlighted by many other authors [ 8 , 10 , 16 ]. As such, the implementation of road infrastructure measures has proven to be effective in reducing deaths among pedestrians [ 17 ] and is recommended by the World Health Organization [ 18 ].…”

Reducing speeding via inanimate police presence

“…Controlling speed remains a priority for government, police, and community groups across the world. Evaluating the consequences of speed as well as the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing speed have been topics of much empirical interest (e.g., Aarts & van Schagen, 2006; Armour, 1986; Blais & Dupont, 2005; Carr et al., 1980; Chen et al., 2002; Damsere‐Derry et al., 2019; Elvik, 2001; Farmer, 2017; Farmer et al., 1999; Friedman et al., 2009; Gehlert et al., 2012; Holland & Conner, 1996; Joksch, 1993; Kaplan et al., 2000; Mashhadi et al., 2017; Patterson et al., 2002; Ravani & Wang, 2018; Redelmeier et al., 2003; Richter et al., 2006; Roqué & Roberts, 1989; Shinar & Stiebel, 1986; Stanojević et al., 2018; Tester et al., 2004). The present research contributes to the policing and accident prevention literatures by evaluating the effects of an inanimate but realistic‐appearing police cut‐out on motorist behavior.…”

“…Given their salience and relevance to both public health and public concern, it is not surprising that a substantial body of research has dedicated itself to understanding traffic collisions and their causes and correlates (e.g., Aarts & van Schagen, 2006; Blincoe, Miller, Zaloshnja, & Lawrence, 2015; Blows, Ameratunga, Ivers, Lo, & Norton, 2005; Joksch, 1993; Mashhadi, Saha, & Ksaibati, 2017; Prati, Puchades, De Angelis, Fraboni, & Pietrantoni, 2018; Richter, Berman, Friedman, & Ben‐David, 2006; Rolison, Regev, Moutari, & Feeney, 2018). It is also not surprising that reducing traffic collisions via intervention programs remains a priority for groups across the world and that testing the effects of such programs remains a focal area of empirical scholarship (e.g., Armour, 1986; Blais & Dupont, 2005; Carr, Schnelle, & Kirchner, 1980; Chen, Meckle, & Wilson, 2002; Clary, 2018; Damsere‐Derry et al., 2019; Elvik, 2001; Gehlert, Schulze, & Schlag, 2012; Holland & Conner, 1996; Kaplan et al., 2000; Mashhadi et al., 2017; Ravani & Wang, 2018; Redelmeier, Tibshirani, & Evans, 2003; Roqué & Roberts, 1989; Shinar & Stiebel, 1986; Stanojević, Sullman, Jovanović, & Stanojević, 2018; Tester, Rutherford, Wald, & Rutherford, 2004).…”

“…For example, Damsere‐Derry et al. (2019) observed that traffic‐calming devices (e.g., speed bumps, speed humps) reduced vehicular speeds and the associated incidence and severity of pedestrian injuries in Ghana, and Gehlert et al. (2012) found that dynamic speed display signs reduced speeding in a highly dense residential area in Germany.…”