road safety as a key element in planning & design
TRANSCRIPT
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Road safety as a key element in planning & design
Sarika Panda BhattManager (Cities & Transport)
WRI-India
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Bridget Driscoll
• The victim:• On August 17, 1896 , she became the first road fatality in the world• 44 year old mother with two children come to London with her teenage
daughter and a friend to watch a dancing display• The crash• The driver was going at 6.4 km/hr. • The witnesses described her at being hit by a car travelling at
“tremendous speed”• The inquest• The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental Death”• At the inquest, the judge said, “This should never happen again”
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The vehicle
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Road safety worldwide: An alarming concern
Worldwide:
• In many countries, road accidents are the most common cause of death in the age group of 15-45.
• In 2020 road accidents are expected to be the third highest cause of death in the world.
Number of road accident deaths per year worldwide
1.3 million
Equivalent to 10 jumbo-jets crashing everyday
Everyday!
Source: World Health Organisation (2004). “World report on road traffic injury prevention”.
Number of road accident injuries
per year worldwide
50 million
Image Source: Carsten Wass, Consia
WHO causes of death
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Road safety scenario in India
India has the highest number of road fatalities in the world. Number of road
accident deaths per year
1.4 lakhs
Source: National Crime Records Bureau (2009) “Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India – 2007”. New Delhi, National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs.
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090
20,00040,00060,00080,000
100,000120,000140,000
0
20
40
60
80
100
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Road accident fatalities in India
Fatalities Fatalities / Million Population
Fatalities
Fataliti
es / Million
Popu
latio
n
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Traditional approach to road safety
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Traditional focus: Making fast travel safe for passengers inside the motor-vehicle
But who is really vulnerable on urban roads
In Delhi, 63% of road fatalities are of pedestrians & bicyclists!
Analysis of road accident data
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Who are the vulnerable road users?
Common statements of the accident problem
About drivers: “In India, no one follows traffic rules.” “In most cases, drivers are at fault. They deliberately drive
recklessly, showing little regard for other road users.”
…and about pedestrians: “There are just too many people on the road – accidents are bound
to happen.” “People are always in a hurry. They do not value their lives, and
hence take unnecessary risks.” “No matter what infrastructure is put in place, people will still break
traffic rules to save a few minutes of their time.”
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The consequence of coincidence of probabilitiesEg. A car hits a pedestrian crossing a roadFactors involved include:• Drivers attention• Pedestrians attention• Car’s braking system• Skid resistance• Visibility
Why does a crash happen?
Driver / Pedestrian
External environment
Vehicle characteristics
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An accident is a rare, random,
multi-factor event
If one of the factors is corrected, it is likely that the accident would not happen, or at least, its severity would be reduced
Components of Road Safety
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ENGAGEMENTEDUCATIONENGINEERING
FIVE E’s OF
SAFETY
ENFORCEMENT EMERGENCY
What are the external environment factorsRoad geometry• Road width, continuity, curvature, elevation, etc. • Junction type, lane alignment, channelization, etc.
Pavement conditions• Potholes, debris, dust, water-logging, etc.
Signage & lane marking
Facilities• Crossings, U-turns, parking, auto-rickshaws
Weather
Lighting
Visibility
…and finally, Traffic
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Signs and markings must be regular and clear
Credit: CONSIA
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Road safety in the urban Indian context
Mixed land use with direct plot access
Diverse modes of transport
High pedestrian volume
Informal street activity / vendors
Lack of traffic discipline
Road design principle:Considers how people will behave rather than how people should behave
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A poor pedestrian crossing
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Unmarked, with no indication to pedestrians or motorists
Narrow width, not consistent with footpath width
No physical treatment to slow down speeding vehicles
Not at level height. Can potentially be a tripping hazard as pedestrians try to cross quickly
Is this really disabled friendly??
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WRI EMBARQ NMT infrastructure design work
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One Way Galleria Road – Present
One Way Galleria Road – After
Road Near Max Hospital – Present
Road Near Max Hospital – After
Courtesy: Nikhil Chaudhary, EMBARQ India
Road To Galleria – Present
Road To Galleria – After
Courtesy: Nikhil Chaudhary, EMBARQ India
Death risk
Probability of pedestrian getting killed
Speed km/h
%
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 1000
20
40
60
80
100
The 30 – 50 – 70 kmph rule
Speed Management
50%40%30%20%10%0%
-10%-20%-30%-40%-50% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10%
Change in Speed
Change in Casualties
All Injuries
Fatalities
Serious Injuries
A change in approach: Vision Zero
• Towards Zero fatalities or serious injuries in road traffic.
• Life can never be exchanged for other benefits
• Providers & regulators of the road system are as responsible for safety as users
Vision and principles
• Every accident goes through a rigorous investigation process
• Causes are studied and improvements are immediately implemented
• Results are monitored
Process
Year Fatalities
1997 541
1998 531
1999 580
2000 591
2001 583
2002 532
2003 529
2004 480
2005 440
2006 445
2007 471
2008 396
2009 355
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Fatalities in Sweden since the adoption of Vision Zero
Started in Sweden in 1997 Policy replicated across many countries in Europe
Any Questions