Pedestrian Crash Analysis: Urban and Rural Areas in Louisiana

Abstract

Pedestrian safety remains a crucial issue, considering that pedestrian fatalities are increasing faster than motorist fatalities. In 2016, pedestrian fatalities reached nearly 6,000 in the United States, which is the highest annual record of pedestrian traffic fatalities in more than two decades. In Louisiana, pedestrian fatalities reached 110 in 2015, nearly 15% of total traffic fatalities. In the same year, the pedestrian fatality rate per 100,000 people in Louisiana reached a higher level (2.18) than the national average (1.67). While pedestrian crashes most frequently occur in urban areas, the fatal pedestrian crash rate is 1.5 in urban areas and 3.8 in rural areas, and the rural population is only 26.8%. To reduce pedestrian crashes, this paper presents an analysis of Louisiana pedestrian crashes (2006–2015) and investigates the pedestrian safety problem. In addition, the statistical relationship between pedestrian injury severity and contributing factors, including demographics, pedestrian behavior, and the built environment for urban and rural areas, is established using multinomial logit models. Fatal and severe crashes are strongly related to alcohol or drug use and elderly age of pedestrians, regardless of their urban or rural locations. However, the pedestrian crashes in urban and rural areas have different characteristics. Variables such as pedestrian crossing/entering road away from intersections, walking in the roadway, dark-unlighted conditions, and speed limits greater than 60 mph are significant only in rural areas but not in urban areas. The findings of this study demonstrate some unique characteristics of Louisiana pedestrian crashes, which can help select the targeted countermeasures.