Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick PEDESTRIAN FATAL CRASHES ON FREEWAYS IN TEXAS

Transcription

1 Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick PEDESTRIAN FATAL CRASHES ON FREEWAYS IN TEXAS By Vichika Iragavarapu, P.E. (Corresponding author) Assistant Research Engineer Texas A&M Transportation Institute, TAMU College Station, TX - Phone: /-, fax: /-00 v-iragavarapu@ttimail.tamu.edu S. Hadi Khazraee Graduate Research Assistant Texas A&M Transportation Institute, TAMU College Station, TX - Phone: /-00, fax: /-00 s- khoshroozi@ttimail.tamu.edu Dominique Lord, Ph.D, P.Eng. Associate Professor and Zachry Development Professor I Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, TAMU Texas A&M University College Station, TX - Phone: /-, fax: /- d-lord@tamu.edu And Kay Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.E. Senior Research Engineer Texas A&M Transportation Institute, TAMU College Station, TX - Phone: /-, fax: /-00 K-Fitzpatrick@tamu.edu TOTAL WORDS: [ Words, Tables+ Figures (000)] Submitted to the Transportation Research Board th Annual Meeting January -, 0, Washington D.C.

2 Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick ABSTRACT Over the five-year period of 00 through 0,, fatal pedestrian crashes were recorded in Texas. percent of these crashes were found to have occurred on controlled-access facilities (i.e. freeways). This is an alarmingly high number for a location where pedestrians are least expected. This study analyzed crash reports and police officer narratives to understand the characteristics and contributing factors associated with fatal pedestrian crashes on freeways. The contributing factors identified include pedestrian and driver alcohol use and dark conditions. Eighty percent of the crashes occurred after dark, almost half of which were at a location with no lighting. Intoxicated pedestrians were involved in twenty eight percent of crashes, with an average BAC of 0.0. To alleviate this problem, there may be a need for conducting a Don t Drink and Walk campaign to educate the general public of dangers of walking while intoxicated, especially at night. A quarter of the crashes involved unintended pedestrians, i.e. those who were out of their vehicle due to a previous crash or a stalled vehicle. Motorists should be educated to not work on their vehicle in traffic and not to try and cross the freeway to reach a shoulder or median. It is best to wait in the vehicle with seat belt and hazard lights on until emergency services arrive.

3 Number of Fatal Pedestrian Crashes Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick 0 INTRODUCTION Data from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) show that over the past few years, Texas has had the third highest number of pedestrian fatal crashes in the U.S.; significantly higher than the national average (shown in Figure ) (). National data also show that between 00 and 0, Texas had the fourth highest interstate highway pedestrian fatality rate at 0. fatalities per 00 million interstate vehicle-miles traveled (shown in Table ) (,). This is, however, lower than an earlier reported rate of 0. fatalities per 00 million interstate vehicle-miles traveled (based on data from to ) () Year California Florida Texas National Average Figure. Comparison of the Number of Fatal Pedestrian Crashes across States (FARS Query: Injury Severity =, Fatal and Person Type =, Pedestrian)

4 Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick Table. State Ranking of Interstate Highway Pedestrian Fatalities per 00 Million Interstate Vehicle-Miles Traveled, 00-0 (,). Interstate Interstate Vehicle- Vehicle- Miles of Miles of Interstate Travel Interstate Travel Pedestrian (miles Pedestrian (miles Fatalities per 00 Fatalities per 00 (00- million) (00- million) State Rank 0) () () Ratio State Rank 0) () () Ratio AL 0. MI,0 0.0 DC 0 0. NY 0, 0.0 AK 0. WA, 0.0 TX,0 0. PA 0, 0.0 LA 0. CT AR 0.00 ID MO, 0.0 KY 0.0 MA 0, 0.00 TN, 0.0 OK 0.0 VA, 0.0 NC 0 0, 0.0 OH, 0.0 FL 0, 0.0 WY CA, 0.0 MT 0.0 NM 0.00 WV 0.0 HI KS MD,0 0.0 VT 0.00 GA,0 0.0 IL, NJ, 0.0 IN,0 0.0 MS ND 0.0 AZ, WI 0.0 SC MN 0.00 NV 0.0 NE RI 0.00 SD 0.0 IA 0.00 DE OR 0.0 ME CO 0.0 NH 0.00 UT 0 0.0

5 Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick Over the five-year period of 00 to 0, the average number of pedestrian fatalities in Texas has been about 00 per year. Fifty-two percent of these fatal pedestrian crashes (/, over five years) occurred on the highest speed roadways, i.e., Interstates and U.S. or TX highways ().This is a very high proportion of pedestrian fatalities at locations where pedestrians are not expected to be present; therefore, TxDOT requested an in-depth review of these crashes to gain a better understanding of the characteristics of the situation. The primary objective of this study was to analyze crash reports and police officer narratives for fatal pedestrian crashes that occurred on high speed controlled-access roadways in Texas in order to better understand the characteristics and contributing factors associated with this group of road users. BACKGROUND Limited information is available in the area of pedestrian crashes on high speed controlled-access roadways. The only previous in-depth study was performed by the AAA foundation in using FARS data and a sample of crashes in Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina for the years to to identify contributing factors, pedestrian and driver characteristics, and pedestrian activity on the interstates (). The study found that 0 percent of the crashes occurred after dark, percent involved an unintended pedestrian, and 0 percent involved a hit-and-run driver. The study concluded that further research is necessary to find out which countermeasures are most effective. Given the small sample size used in the previous study and the numerous changes on Texas freeways since (including the increase in speed limits and application of various safety treatments), an updated and more in-depth study was requested by TxDOT. This study uses a larger database with more recent data to provide additional insights into the situation of fatal pedestrian crashes on freeways. METHODOLOGY Researchers obtained the crash reports (including officer narratives) for fatal pedestrian crashes on Interstates and U.S. or TX highways in Texas over the five-year period of 00 to 0. U.S. and TX highways were included in this study because some of these highways are classified as controlled-access roadways. A total of, crashes were identified as pedestrian crashes on Interstates and U.S. or TX highways. The review process was performed in two steps. In the first step, 0 crashes were not considered for further analyses because: a) the crash report was unavailable, or b) the crash did not occur on Intestates or U.S. or TX highways (often on a city street or parking lot), or c) the crash involved a pedalcyclist or motorized conveyance rather than a pedestrian. Thus, at the end of the first step,,0 crash narratives were reviewed in more details. In the second step, to ensure that the crashes analyzed in this study occurred on controlled-access roadways, crash location was reviewed using latitude and longitude information (available in Texas Crash Record Information System) along with aerial photographs and the crash narrative sketch. Table shows the distribution of crashes by road class defined in CRIS and the roadway type identified through review of aerial photographs and the crash narrative sketch. A controlledaccess facility was defined as freeway, a service road accompanying a freeway was defined as frontage, and other non-controlled-access facilities were defined as arterial. At the end of the

6 Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick 0 second step, crashes were identified as those occurring on freeways (e.g., main lanes, shoulders, ramps, etc.). The analyses described in this paper were based on these crashes. Information from the narrative text and other parts of the crash report was coded in a spreadsheet for this analysis. Each row in the spreadsheet represented a fatal pedestrian crash and the columns contained coded answers to the questions shown in Table. Officer s comments were not included in the analysis because in % (/) of the fatal crashes the field was left blank by the officer. In % (/) of the fatal crashes on freeways, the officer did note dark clothing for the pedestrians. Table. Distribution of Fatal Pedestrian Crashes (00-0) by CRIS Road Class and Roadway Type. CRIS Road Class/ Roadway Type Freeway Frontage Arterial Not Reviewed Total Interstate U.S. and State Highways 0 Total These seven crashes were coded as Interstates, but after review of the narrative and crash location (using CRIS latitude and longitude along with aerial photographs), it was determined that these were noncontrolled-access arterials. These were either state spurs or business Interstates or city streets adjacent to an Interstate or had either an erroneous latitude/longitude entry or an erroneous functional system entry.

7 Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick Table. Information Extracted From Crash Narratives. Question of Interest Code used by researchers to document the information What type of Freeway (Controlled-access highway) roadway facility did Frontage (Service road accompanying a freeway) the crash occur on? Arterial (All other non-controlled-access roadways) What part of the road did the crash occur on? What was the pedestrian doing at the time of collision? Why was the pedestrian at the crash location? Was the pedestrian under the influence of alcohol or drugs? Was the driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs? Who was at fault in the police officer s opinion? Officer comments Main lanes Right Shoulder Left Shoulder Entrance Ramp Exit Ramp Median High-Occupancy-Vehicle (HOV) Lane Standing Crossing the roadway Walking along the roadway Associated with a vehicle Stalled vehicle Previous crash Changing seat positions Jumping from car Taking pictures Retrieving items from road Not associated with a vehicle Commuting Working Fleeing police Suicide Unconscious Jumping from bridge Alcohol and/ or Drugs Alcohol or Had been drinking Drugs Alcohol and Drugs Alcohol and/ or Drugs Alcohol or Had been drinking Drugs Alcohol and Drugs Pedestrian Driver Vehicle Crosswalk on Main lanes Two-Way-Left-Turn (TWLT) Lane Off the Roadway Unknown Lying down Unknown Not stated in crash narrative Crossing roadway Standing in traffic Standing on median, shoulder, or off the road Walking or lying down in traffic Walking or lying down on median, shoulder, or off the road Unknown Alcohol within limits Not under influence Unknown Alcohol within limits Not under influence Unknown Debris Unclear Other information from narrative text. e.g. Rain, Dark Clothing, Unlit section, etc.

8 Persons Invlolved on TxDOT Reportable Fatal Pedestrian Crashes on Freeway (00-0) White Hispanic Black Asian Other Indian Unknown Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick 0 ANALYSIS Pedestrian and Driver Characteristics In the freeway pedestrian crashes,,0 persons were involved, of whom were drivers and were pedestrians (the rest, i.e.,, are passengers or occupants). The higher number of drivers indicates the prevalence of multi-vehicle collisions. Age, gender, and ethnicity information was not available for drivers in percent of the crashes, indicating a considerable number of hit-and-run cases. The crash reports did not have a variable to indicate hit-and-run crashes, but a considerable proportion of crash narratives suggested hit-and-run. The age group with the highest representation in the crashes was 0- for pedestrians (%, /) and - for drivers (%, /). Men were overrepresented by four times among pedestrians (0%, /) and by three times among drivers (%, 0/). Pedestrian ethnicity information is available only since 00, due to a change in the Texas crash reporting form that added ethnicity variable for each person involved in the crash (versus only for the driver). Based on 00-0 data (shown in Figure ), equal proportions of pedestrians were white (%) and Hispanic (%), and a higher proportion of drivers were white (%). 0% % 0% % 0% % 0% % 0% % 0% Ethnicity 0 Driver Pedestrian Figure. Distribution of Ethnicity Among Pedestrians and Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes on Freeways (00-0). Contribution of Weather, Light Conditions, and Day of Week As shown in Table, over eighty percent (+0+=0/) of crashes occurred in dark conditions, almost half of which (/0) were at locations with no lighting. Only percent (0/) of the fatal pedestrian crashes on freeways occurred when it was raining. In other words, most of the fatal pedestrian crashes on freeways (%, ++=/) occurred in clear/cloudy weather and dark conditions. Also, most crashes occurred on weekends, i.e. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (%, /).

9 Percentage Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick Table. Distribution of Fatal Pedestrian Crashes (00-0) on Freeway by Weather Condition and Light Condition. Weather Condition/ Light Condition Dawn Daylight Dark, Not lighted Dark, Lighted Dark, Unknown lighting Unknown Blank Total 0 Clear/Cloudy % Rain % Sleet/Hail/Snow % Fog % Unknown/Blank % Total 0 Percentage % % % % % % 0% Influence of Alcohol and/or Drugs Influence of alcohol and/or drugs was determined from the officer narrative, supplemental officer notes, alcohol/drug specimen results and the contributing factor fields. As shown in Table, pedestrians were found to be under influence in percent of the crashes on freeways (/), whereas drivers were under influence in percent of these crashes (0/). Figure shows a comparison of the Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) test results of pedestrians and drivers that were found to be under the influence of alcohol in the crash report review. The average reported BAC level for pedestrians under influence was 0.0; which is more than twice the legal limit (0.0), indicating high levels of intoxication. These observations are based on a very limited sample of alcohol/drug specimens. The higher proportion of pedestrians under influence could be an indication of the high number of hit-and-run drivers (as established earlier) or of the low percentage of on-site alcohol/drug testing for drivers.

10 Cumulative Proportion of Persons Under Influence of Alcohol Pedestrian Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick Table. Distribution of Pedestrians and Drivers under the Influence of Alcohol/Drug in Fatal Pedestrian Crashes on Freeway (00-0). Driver Alcohol Alcohol Total None* Unknown and/or Drugs <0.0 BAC Alcohol and/or Drugs Alcohol <0.0 BAC % 0.% 0 % % % 0.% 0 0% % 0% % None* % 0.% % % 0% Unknown % 0 0% 0 % % 0 % Total 0 % % % % 00% *None = No Specimen Taken 00% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% BAC Value (From CRIS Database) Driver Pedestrian Figure. Comparison of BAC Test Results (from the CRIS Database) of Pedestrians and Drivers under the Influence of Alcohol According to the Crash Report Review (00-0).

11 Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick 0 Pedestrian Action at the Time of Crash Table shows the distribution of where the crash occurred and what the pedestrian was doing at the time of the crash. Seventy five percent of the crashes (/) occurred on the main lanes (including HOV lanes), whereas percent occurred on the shoulder or median or off-the road (/). Almost half of the freeway crashes (%, /) occurred when the pedestrian was trying to cross the roadway, most commonly in the main lanes. Ten percent of crashes involved the pedestrian standing on shoulder (/) and two percent of crashes involved pedestrians walking along the shoulder. However, pedestrian action at the time of crash was unknown in percent (0/) of the crashes. Table. Distribution of Fatal Pedestrian Crashes (00-0) on Freeways by Road Part and Pedestrian Action Prior to Crash. Road Part/ Pedestrian Walking Action Prior to Crash along Lying on Ground Unknown Total On Freeway Crossing Standing Road Main lanes 0 0 Right Shoulder 0 Left Shoulder Entrance Ramp Exit Ramp 0 Median HOV Lane Off the Roadway Unknown Total 0

12 Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick Reason for Presence of Pedestrian at Crash Location Table shows information on the most critical question in this study: why were the pedestrians on the freeway? A high proportion of the crashes (%, 00/) involved pedestrians that were crossing the freeway for undetermined reasons. In percent of these crashes (/00), the pedestrian was noted as at fault by the police officer. In a large proportion of these crashes (%, /00) the pedestrian was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Most of these crashes occurred after dark (%, /00), with half of them being at locations with no lighting (0%, 00/00). A small fraction of the crashes (%, /) involved pedestrians commuting (or fleeing from police) via the freeway or working on the freeway. A considerable proportion of the crashes (%, 0/), given the researchers expectation, involved pedestrians that were engaged in suicidal behavior (i.e. jumping from car, suicide, standing in traffic, walking in or lying down in traffic). Twenty five percent (/) of the crashes occurred when the pedestrian was out of their vehicle due to a stalled vehicle or a previous crash. In almost a third of these crashes (/), the pedestrian was standing on the main lanes. In percent of these crashes (/), the pedestrian was standing on the shoulders or median or off the road, and in percent of these crashes (/) the pedestrian was trying to cross the freeway main lanes. Among the crashes that involved a pedestrian hit while standing on the shoulders or median or off the road, the driver was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs in percent of the crashes (/) and was noted as at fault by the officer in percent of the crashes (/).

13 Not stated in Crash Narrative Not associated With a Vehicle Associated With a Vehicle Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick Table. Distribution of Fatal Pedestrian Crashes (00-0) on Freeway by Reason for Pedestrian Presence at Crash Location. Reason for Pedestrian Presence at Crash Proportion of Crash Location Count Crashes Stalled vehicle % Previous crash 0% Changing seat position 0.% Jumping from car 0.% % Taking pictures 0.% Retrieving items from road % Commuting % Working 0 % Fleeing police % Suicide % % Unconscious 0.% Crossing roadway 00 % Standing in Traffic % Standing on Median or Shoulder or Off the Road % Walking Along or Lying Down in Traffic % % Walking Along or Lying Down on Median or Shoulder % or Off the Road Unknown % Total 00%

14 Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Over the five-year period (00 through 0),, fatal pedestrian crashes were recorded in Texas. percent () of these crashes were found to have occurred on controlled-access facilities (i.e., freeways). This is an alarmingly high number for a location where pedestrians are not expected to be present. From the crash report review, it was determined that many drivers either did not see the pedestrian until it was too late or they did not know what they had hit. The police officer noted dark clothing of pedestrians in only four percent of the crashes, but eighty percent of the crashes occurred after dark (even though almost half of the crashes were at location that had lighting). For a high proportion of pedestrian crashes when the pedestrians was trying to cross the freeway, the reason was undetermined; although it can be assumed that in many cases the freeway was being used as a short cut. Installing fences to prevent pedestrian crossing freeways in urban environments would address this issue. In a third of these crashes the pedestrian was under the influence of alcohol. The average reported BAC for pedestrians killed in a freeway crash was 0.0; which is more than twice the legal limit (0.0), indicating high levels of intoxication. To alleviate this problem, there may be a need for developing a public outreach campaign to educate the general public of dangers of walking along or crossing roadway while intoxicated, especially at night. Such campaigns could be location specific to address pedestrians crossing high speed roads. A quarter of the pedestrian crashes on freeways involved unintended pedestrians, i.e. those that were out of their vehicle due to a previous crash or a stalled vehicle. In almost a third of these crashes, the pedestrian was standing on the main lanes and in percent of these crashes the pedestrian was trying to cross the freeway main lanes following an incident that occurred on the freeway lanes or shoulders. Motorists should be educated to not try to work on their vehicle in traffic and stay inside the vehicle, with their seatbelt on and hazard lights on, until help arrives (i.e., police, emergency vehicle, etc.).. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This paper is based on research sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The project is under the direction of Cary Choate of TxDOT. The research was performed at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or polices of TxDOT.

15 Iragavarapu, Khazraee, Lord, Fitzpatrick REFERENCES NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System. Accessed April 0. FHWA Office of Highway Policy Information. Accessed April 0. Johnson, C.D. (). Pedestrian Fatalities on Interstate Highways: Characteristics and Countermeasures. In Transportation Research Record, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., pp.. Fitzpatrick, K., V. Iragavarapu, M.A. Brewer, D. Lord, J. Hudson, R. Avelar, and J. Robertson. Characteristics of Texas Pedestrian Crashes and Evaluation of Driver Yielding at Pedestrian Treatments. TxDOT Report FHWA/TX-/0-0-. May 0.