Road Safety
- Publication no: AP-R728-25
- ISBN: 978-1-922994-66-0
- Published: 21 March 2025
- PDF (free) Download
This report provides a synthesis of key findings from the literature on pedestrian safety, as part of the Austroads project Keeping People Safe When Walking – Stream 1. It addresses pedestrian vulnerability, economic impacts of crashes, emerging challenges such as micromobility and vehicle safety technology, and the role of speed management, road design, and vehicle technology in mitigating risk. The report examines crash risk assessment, successful international safety strategies, barriers to improvement, and knowledge gaps, highlighting the importance of data systems, funding, and stakeholder coordination in enhancing pedestrian safety.
About the project:
Austroads' Keeping People Safe When Walking project envisions a road and street network that places pedestrian safety at its core—regardless of age, race, gender, socioeconomic background, or physical ability. The project supports both national and local efforts to achieve Vision Zero targets: a 50% reduction in pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries by 2030, and their complete elimination by 2050.
To realise this vision, the project draws on data-driven insights to better understand pedestrian trauma and inform impactful interventions across the Safe System.
This report is the second of the 4 reports produced as part of Stream 1 of the project:
- Keeping People Safe when Walking – Stream 1: Pedestrian Safety Problem and Project Methodology
- Keeping People Safe when Walking – Stream 1: Literature Review [this report]
- Keeping People Safe when Walking – Stream 1: Pedestrian Data Improvement Recommendations
- Keeping People Safe when Walking – Stream 1: Recommended Pedestrian Safety Interventions
Watch a recording of the webinar to learn more.
- Summary
- 1. Introduction
- 1.1 Purpose
- 1.2 Scope
- 1.3 Methodology
- 2. Pedestrian Safety Risk
- 2.1 Pedestrian safety problem and emerging issues
- 2.2 Key characteristics and contributing factors to pedestrian crashes and injuries
- 2.3 The role of technology in addressing pedestrian safety risk
- 2.4 How best to assess pedestrian crash risk and exposure to risk2F
- 2.5 Reactive versus proactive approaches to pedestrian safety
- 3. Pedestrian Safety Data
- 3.1 Pedestrian activity and safety data frameworks
- 3.1.1 Victoria’s Walking and Cycling Data (Framework and Action Plan) – 2018
- 3.2 Best practices and recommendations for pedestrian data collection, management, and analysis
- 3.1 Pedestrian activity and safety data frameworks
- 4. Frameworks for Improving Pedestrian Safety
- 4.1 Effective strategies to improve pedestrian safety and reduce serious trauma
- 4.2 Safe System approach
- 4.3 Road safety management systems
- 5. Learning from Other Jurisdictions
- 5.1 Key blockers to pedestrian safety interventions and strategies
- 6. Conclusions
- 6.1 Key findings
- 6.1.1 Pedestrian safety problem
- 6.1.2 Pedestrian crash risk
- 6.1.3 Pedestrian safety data
- 6.1.4 Pedestrian safety strategies and approaches
- 6.1.5 Key learnings from other pedestrian-safety-advanced countries
- 6.1.6 Key barriers to pedestrian safety improvement
- 6.2 Knowledge gaps and future research
- 6.1 Key findings
- 7. References
- Appendix A Question 1
- A.1 Key insights
- A.2 Detailed findings
- A.2.1 Crash impact
- A.2.2 Financial impact
- Appendix B Question 2
- B.1 Key insights
- B.2 Detailed findings
- B.2.1 Background
- B.2.2 Severity
- B.2.3 Road environment
- B.2.4 Speed
- B.2.5 Vehicle design
- B.2.6 Road user behaviour
- B.2.7 Land use and Movement and Place
- B.2.8 Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics
- B.2.9 Time of day
- Appendix C Question 3
- C.1 Key insights
- C.2 Detailed findings
- Appendix D Question 4
- D.1 Key insights
- D.2 Detailed Findings
- Appendix E Question 5
- E.1 Key insights
- E.2 Detailed findings
- Appendix F Question 6
- F.1 Key insights
- F.2 Detailed findings
- Appendix G Question 7
- G.1 Key insights
- G.2 Detailed findings
- G.2.1 Existing framework
- Appendix H Question 8
- H.1 Key insights
- H.2 Detailed findings
- H.2.1 Safe System considerations
- H.2.2 Multiple use for data
- H.2.3 Crash data
- H.2.4 Australasian pedestrian crash data gaps
- Appendix I Question 9
- I.1 Key insights
- I.2 Detailed findings
- Appendix J Question 10
- J.1 Key insights
- J.2 Detailed findings
- Appendix K Question 11
- K.1 Key insights
- K.2 Detailed findings
- Appendix L Question 12
- L.1 Key insights
- L.2 Detailed findings
- L.2.1 Oslo, Norway
- L.2.2 Helsinki, Finland
- L.2.3 Bogota, Columbia
- L.2.4 Paris, France
- L.2.5 Barcelona, Spain
- L.2.6 Wellington, New Zealand
- L.2.7 New York City, USA
- L.2.8 Melbourne, Australia
- L.2.9 London, United Kingdom
- L.2.10 Zurich, Switzerland
- L.2.11 Copenhagen, Denmark
- L.2.12 Vancouver, Canada
- L.2.13 Auckland, New Zealand
- L.2.14 Stockholm, Sweden
- L.2.15 Amsterdam, Netherlands
- L.2.16 Berlin, Germany
- L.2.17 Vienna, Austria
- L.2.18 Dublin, Ireland
- L.2.19 Madrid, Spain
- L.2.20 Lisbon, Portugal
- L.2.21 Brussels, Belgium
- L.2.22 Warsaw, Poland
- L.2.23 Fortaleza, Brazil
- L.2.24 Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Appendix M Question 13
- M.1 Key insights
- M.2 Detailed findings
- Appendix N Question 14
- N.1 Key insights
- N.2 Detailed findings
- Appendix O Question 15
- O.1 Key insights
- O.2 Detailed findings
- Appendix P Question 16
- P.1 Key insights
- P.2 Detailed findings
- P.2.1 Successful examples of this approach
- Appendix Q Question 17
- Q.1 Key insights
- Q.2 Detailed findings
- Appendix R Question 18
- R.1 Key insights
- R.1.1 Aging population
- R.1.2 Distraction
- R.1.3 Micromobility
- R.2 Detailed findings
- R.1 Key insights
- Appendix S Question 19
- S.1 Key insights
- S.2 Detailed findings
- Appendix T Question 20
- T.1 Key insights
- T.2 Detailed findings
Austroads’ literature review of hazard perception tests identifies what makes these tests effective, with a particular focus on novice drivers. It shows that the ability to anticipate and respond to hazards is a critical skill linked to safer driving and reduced crash risk.