A hybrid approach for prioritising road safety interventions in urban areas

Abstract

Spatial organization in cities has often given a special attention to the requirements of motorized vehicles, neglecting pedestrians and cyclists’ needs. In order to privilege these road users, there is a need to consider their vulnerability and ensure they are provided with comfortable safety levels. Pedestrian safety can be improved with the knowledge of the underlying factors involved in crash occurrence and resulting injuries. The consideration of variables related to the built environment in explanation of crashes and injury outcomes is frequent and helpful. The city of Lisbon was the target for the development of models for the prediction of crash frequencies and their severity, wich could be used to identify high crash risk sites. This procedure contributed to support the intervention in road safety, concerning decisions about the choice of locations for intervention, the characterization of their safety problems, the selection of proper corrective interventions to implement as well as the assessment of the effects obtained with those interventions.