​Every year, many South Africans die on our roads despite safety awareness campaigns and threats of tougher penalties for reckless driving. Among the numerous fatalities are pedestrians who remain the most vulnerable road users. The Department of Transport's 2017 statistics show that pedestrian deaths represent approximately 38 % of all traffic deaths recorded in the country.

Although human factors play a role in pedestrian crashes, research has shown that the design of the built environment, especially in and around cities, influences the way people use roads, and as such has the potential to impact the incidences and the severity of pedestrian crashes.

This is according to Dr Pascal Nteziyaremye, a recent doctoral graduate in Civil Engineering at Stellenbosch University. Nteziyaremye, a transport engineer at GoMetro (Pty) Ltd in Durbanville, investigated the link between the built environment (land use, urban design, transportation systems, and patterns of human activity within the physical environment) and incidences of pedestrian crashes in Cape Town.

Land use refers to the distribution of spatially located activities across a geographic area, including the location and the density of different activities, where activities are grouped into relatively broad categories, such as residential use, commercial use, industrial use, offices, parks, transport facilities, schools, brownfield sites, open spaces, etc.

Nteziyaremye says that in South Africa, a few attempts have been made to investigate the relationships between pedestrian crashes and site-specific elements (e.g. intersections, schools, etc.) or street-scale elements (e.g. crosswalks, sidewalks, intersection design elements etc.).

“My study focused on pedestrian safety because they are most vulnerable road users and most at risk of sustaining fatal and serious injuries as the result of accidents. They need protection through safe design solutions."

“Understanding the influence of the built environment on pedestrian safety is of vital importance for both research and practice in an effort to address pedestrian safety problems and develop safer walking environments in urban spaces."

Nteziyaremye used different analytical methods and modelling techniques to determine, among others, the extent to which the frequency of pedestrian crashes are associated with the built environment and population characteristics; to identify hotspots for pedestrian crashes; and to describe pedestrian crash profiles and contributing factors.

In addition to collecting data on pedestrian crashes, the built environment and population characteristics, he gathered information on the geographic coordinates of crash locations, the type of facility at the crash location, the type of intersection controls at the crash location, etc.

Poorer areas

“I found that more pedestrian crashes are likely to occur in suburbs with more people; a greater degree of land use mix; more intersections controlled by traffic signals; more roundabouts and mini-circles; a greater intensity of industrial use (e.g. restaurants, service stations, motor repair garages, scrap yards, agricultural industry among others); more intersections with at least four approaches; and more freeways and arterial roads. 

Geospatial analyses of important hotspots of pedestrian crashes show that they mostly occur in the densely populated and socio-economically disadvantaged South Eastern areas of Cape Town."

Nteziyaremye points out that the highest frequencies of pedestrian casualties were during morning (07:00 to 8:00) and evening (16:00 to 18:00) peak traffic hours.

“The average daily frequency of pedestrian casualties peaked on Fridays and Saturdays with the lowest average daily frequency observed on Wednesdays. The frequency of pedestrian casualties was highest during the pay week followed by the second week after the pay week and the lowest frequency is observed in the other remaining weeks of a month."

Nteziyaremye says possible reasons for this may be a higher level of alcohol consumption as well as increased mobility and pedestrian activity during the pay week.

According Nteziyaremye, pedestrian crashes happen in these socio-economically disadvantaged areas because the built environment in South Africa has been shaped by past policies of racially segregated human settlements and this has inevitably affected the way people travel as well as the extent to which pedestrian safety was prioritised.

“Apart from the built environment, fewer people own cars in these poorer communities and residents rely solely on walking and public transport which are the most unsafe transport modes in South Africa. Poorer areas also lack adequate road infrastructure, work and economic opportunities, social services and recreational facilities."

“My study found that 244 children were playing in the streets when they were hit by vehicles and the majority of these cases occurred in economically-disadvantaged areas that lack safe play areas and other recreational facilities."

Nteziyaremye says this, together with a lack of coordination between the way land has been used and transportation systems, led to higher vulnerability of pedestrians being run over by vehicles particularly in urban environments.

He does point out, however, that both pedestrians and motorists are at fault.

“For instance, in my study, it was found that 88% of pedestrian crashes occurred outside a designated crossing point (e.g. zebra crossing). The data shows that between 2012 and 2014, 790 pedestrians were hit by vehicles while crossing at designated crossing locations in Cape Town. This shows that motorists also play an important role in vehicle-pedestrian crashes." 

“There are, however, instances where pedestrians are left with no other choice than to jaywalk if there is no crossing facility. In this circumstance, the fault lies with planning and design," adds Nteziyaremye.

Better design and education

As to how the number of pedestrian crashes can be reduced, he says we need roads that are more user-friendly for all road users for example, separated walking paths, overpasses, underpasses, traffic signals, sidewalks, etc.

“It would also be important to minimise waiting times at traffic signals, provide safe play areas, enhance pedestrian conspicuity on the road (e.g. street lights, marking and signage  and design cities in such a way that residences, workplaces, schools, shops and other facilities are in walking distance from each other."

Nteziyaremye adds that pedestrians need to be educated about the risks associated with, among others, jaywalking, ignoring red lights, running, stopping midway, crossing between stopped cars, drinking and walking and being inconspicuous on the roads.

“Speeding, drinking and driving, and drivers' disregard of pedestrians on the road must also be addressed."

“We also need stricter and effective law enforcement, a comprehensive road safety management system and more research on road safety in South Africa."

Nteziyaremye says his findings are useful for future planning and design of the built environment in urban areas and can be used to predict future pedestrian crashes.

“Knowledge of the expected number of pedestrian crashes and where they are likely to occur would help to proactively plan interventions before they happen. A reduced number of pedestrian crashes also means a decrease in total costs of road accidents in South Africa."

• Main photo: Pedestrians crossing a street. Courtesy of Pexels.
• Photo 1: Dr Pascal Nteziyaremye at his graduation ceremony.

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES ONLY

Dr Pascal Nteziyaremye

GoMetro (Pty) Ltd

Durbanville

Tel: 021 824 3345

Cell: 073 789 4321

E-mail: pascal@gometroapp.com 

            ISSUED BY

Martin Viljoen

Manager: Media

Corporate Communication

Stellenbosch University

Tel: 021 808 4851

E-mail: viljoenm@sun.ac.za