Relationship Between Mobility and Pedestrian Traffic Safety in India
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Relationship Between Mobility and Pedestrian Traffic Safety in India Ruchika Agarwala1 · Vinod Vasudevan2 Received: 13 December 2018 / Accepted: 27 April 2020 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract Pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users. In India and other developing countries, pedestrian fatalities constitute a significant proportion of traffic-related fatalities. As these countries’ economies grow and their populations become more mobile, there may be repercussions for pedestrians. While improved mobility is generally considered a positive outcome of economic growth, its impact on pedestrian traffic safety has not been studied in detail, especially at a region-wide level. Since pedestrian behavior and vehicle ownership characteristics in low-and middle-income countries are substantially different than in high-income countries, it is necessary to explore the relationship between mobility and pedestrian traffic safety in the context of a middle-income country. In this study, India serves as a case study to explore such a relationship. A time-series regression methodology and mobility indices were used to quantify regional mobility over time. The results suggest that improvements in mobility are detrimental to pedestrian traffic safety in India. This study should emphasize to decision-makers the importance of investing in safety features for pedestrians, whose needs have been neglected for decades, often in favor of motorized transport. Keywords Pedestrian fatality · Mobility · Time series model · Developing countries
Introduction Road traffic fatalities account for around 1.35 million deaths every year globally, with low and middle-income countries bearing a significant share [1]. Vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists are especially vulnerable, accounting for 26% of global road traffic fatalities [1]. Many of these low and middle-income countries have economies that are growing at a rapid pace [2]. This growth is likely to improve overall mobility due to investments in higher-quality roads, such as National Highways, State Highways, and Expressways. At the same time, rising wages will enable more people to afford personal vehicles. While improved mobility is generally viewed as a positive outcome for developing
* Vinod Vasudevan [email protected] Ruchika Agarwala [email protected] 1
Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, India
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
2
countries, there has been little effort to study its impact on pedestrian traffic safety. Moreover, pedestrian behavior and vehicle ownership characteristics in developing countries are substantially different than in high-income countries, where more studies on traffic safety have been conducted. There is a need to more thoroughly explore the relationship between mobility and pedestrian traffic safety in the context of low- and middleincome countries. In developing economies,
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