3 General Recommendations
for Safe Roads in LMIC
Data, policy, and crossing facilities: essential recommendations for road safety in low & middle-income countries in Africa
Policy Design Based on Vulnerable Road User Perspectives
Photo by IMF Photo/Kim Haughton
There are several risk factors associated with road accidents involving Vulnerable Road Users (VRU, e.g. pedestrians, bicyclists, motorbike riders) in African cities. These factors are related to the built environment, human factors, vehicles and equipment.
Previous studies have indicated that, as far as the built environment is concerned, poor street design, lack of pedestrian facilities, congestion and mixed traffic composition severely influence road accidents. In terms of human and equipment factors, the inappropriate behaviour of drivers and pedestrians, as well as insufficient knowledge of traffic rules, poor braking systems, poor speed management and insufficient vehicle lighting systems, are considered relevant risk factors for road accidents in the African context.
The school environment is influenced by multiple circumstances, which can be classified as factors related to the behaviour of children and other road users, infrastructural factors and the built environment, as well as economic and socio-cultural factors. Understanding these elements contributes to the development of accurate road safety policies.
Data Collection and Surveillance
Photo by Daniel Case
The proposed methodologies include using built environment data sourced through Google Street view to distinguish street level risks for pedestrian injuries, self-reports to collect data and experiences on road safety and crowdsourcing tools to collect subjective experiences and perceptions on road safety.
To maximize the effect of these approaches, previous studies recommend that surveillance should be conducted at different crossing points.
Different Types of Crossing Facilities Have Different Impacts on VRU Safety
There are six types of crossing facilities in African cities with varied mobility challenges for road users, in particular, VRUs. These crossing facilities are zebra crossings, traffic calming crossings, diagonal crossings, staggered crossings, raised/table top crossings and pinch crossings.
From previous studies, it’s found that zebra crossings are generally designed using inadequate and narrow lanes. Traffic calmed crossings are rarely seen on African city streets, despite offering motorists a level of compliance due to speed calming facilities. Examples of crossing facilities include:
Photo by Hansueli Krapf
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Diagonal crossings, allow people to cross the road in all directions simultaneously, avoiding conflict between people walking and turning vehicles.
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Staggered crossings allow pedestrians face oncoming traffic and enhances their visibility at the crossing.
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Raised-tabletop crossings, improve accessibility and increases visibility for both motorists and pedestrians.
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Crossing through pinch points provides a short crossing distance.
The study recommends that the implementation of each type of crossing will depend on the road and traffic characteristics.