Pedestrian Safety - Report to Congress

August 2008

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6. Conclusions and Recommendations

Conclusions

Advanced technologies offer the potential to significantly improve pedestrian safety. However, additional research and extensive field demonstrations in real-world settings are needed to evaluate the benefits and effectiveness of deploying most of the advanced technologies described in this report. These research and demonstration results are essential for identifying the most effective advanced technologies and intelligent transportation systems to prevent or mitigate pedestrian crashes. It is also necessary to address any remaining substantive implementation barriers and determine the types of intersections or roadways where each technology can be best deployed to maximize the potential for improving pedestrian safety. States and localities will then be able to extensively deploy these technologies and reduce future pedestrian crash problems.

Improved vehicle design is currently being addressed both by the U.S. automobile manufacturing industry and by the international community, which has recognized that pedestrian crash severity, to some degree, is dependent on the design of the vehicle. NHTSA has been working with the international community to develop a GTR on pedestrian safety that is designed to reduce head and leg injuries when a pedestrian is hit by the front of a vehicle. This GTR is expected to be adopted in November 2008. Once adopted, NHTSA expects to initiate its internal rulemaking process.

Advanced automated technologies for red light and speed enforcement may be useful in improving pedestrian safety. However, institutional issues must be confronted before extensive deployment of these technologies can be pursued in many jurisdictions. Research reports have identified the following institutional issues including impacts on privacy, due process, perceived fairness of implementation, legality in terms of consistency with local and State laws, and providing ample advanced warning. These must be addressed in a way that is acceptable to the majority of the public in particular without a substantial reduction in the effectiveness of the technology. Guidance on how to overcome these issues has been developed and disseminated by DOT.

Educating law enforcement agencies as to the proper use of new technologies can also contribute to public outreach. Informed officers can participate in safety campaigns targeted at improving pedestrian safety, working to inform the public about how new technologies work and how to use them properly. In addition, law enforcement officers who are educated in the proper use of new technologies will therefore be able to identify violations, issue citations, and reinforce the pedestrian right-of-way.

The integration of advanced pedestrian safety technologies into national design standards will require successful completion of the field demonstrations and the research needed to validate their benefits and feasibility including the resolution of any remaining significant issues or barriers.

Recommendations

Future efforts should focus on the field demonstrations, research needed to prove the effectiveness and feasibility of implementing advanced pedestrian safety technologies, and resolution of any remaining issues or barriers to make the technology market ready. These efforts are critical to identifying the most effective advanced technology and intelligent transportation systems that could prevent and reduce pedestrian fatalities and injuries in the future. Available funding to support these activities at the national level is very limited.

Outreach and education for law enforcement agencies should be provided as an integral part of new technology implementation. Law enforcement agencies should be kept regularly informed of the advantages of new technology. Education efforts should focus on the proper use of the technologies and how to enforce proper use in compliance with the established framework of State and local laws.

Efforts to integrate the advanced pedestrian technologies in this report into national design guidelines, with the exception of the pedestrian countdown signal, should await the completion of field demonstrations and research that establish their benefits and feasibility for implementation and that resolve remaining issues and barriers.

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