Behavioral analysis of vehicle-pedestrian interactions in Iran

Abstract

Statistics for the injured and killed pedestrian accidents in recent years have expressed high vulnerability of this group of road users. By identifying inuential factors in the interactions of pedestrians-vehicles and representing appropriate solutions to reduce the impact of these factors, the possibility of such interactions and, consequently, the relative accidents can be reduced. In the present research, based on Naturalistic Driving Studies (NDS), the driving behaviors of 29 drivers of vehicles were investigated. In the local urban routes of Babol City in Mazandaran, Iran, 289 vehicle-pedestrian interactions at the traffic peak hours were determined. By analyzing the interactions using the DREAM method (Driving Reliability and Error Analysis Method), the risk factors were identiffed and two causal patterns were determined for pedestrian crossings and places lacking any pedestrian crossings. Drivers talking to passengers and listening to music were among the factors inuencing the occurrence of interactions at pedestrian crossings. Unexpected behaviors by pedestrians while crossing (such as sudden running, crossing careless of the traffic flow, and crossing without obtaining the permission from the vehicle driver) played a substantial role in the occurrence of interactions in places without pedestrian crossings. Finally, some solutions were proposed for reducing the chances of occurrence of interactions.