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Abstract
Pedestrian safety is a serious issue in Pakistan and needs urgent attention. Yearly over 7000 road accidents occur in Pakistan, as a result, a large number of people are being killed and several thousands are injured/crippled.
A pedestrian safety survey was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of eight pedestrian bridges located in urban areas of Rawalpindi/Islamabad. Traffic around these bridges in terms of physical and operational parameters, location of bridges, road furniture and level of enforcement were observed and analyzed.
A number of observations have been made in terms of poor infrastructure provided for safe pedestrian crossing. It is recommended to provideproper road signs, road marking, provision of rumble barsand proper fence around these areas to ensure that the pedestrians use the provided facility.
Keywords : Safety, Accident, Traffic, Pedestrian crossing.
Introduction
The economic cost of road crashes and injuries is estimated to be over 100 billion rupees for Pakistan. However, the loss is more than just numbers, as road traffic injuries push many families more deeply into poverty by the loss of their breadwinners and inflict a tremendous continuous burden on the disabled victims and their families; and on national health care system (Ahmed, 2007).
An estimate of the total national cost of road accidents will help governments to realize the heavy economic losses being incurred annually as described in the "gross output" method of accident costing and socio-economic aspects of road accidents in developing countries. Governments must try to reduce these losses by providing road safety improvements and should see expenditure on road safety as an investment and not as a cost.Road Crash Problem (2013).
Road safety studies have revealed that human elements contribute to 95% of all accidents, road factors to 28% and vehicle factors of 8.5%. The road user is the sole contributor in 65% of accidents; in contrast, road and vehicle factors are usually lined with a road user factor.The 'Zebra' Pedestrian Crossings Regulations (1971) and Country road safety officer association (1986).
1. Perpetual errors e.g. driver or pedestrian looks but fails to see, distraction or lack of attention, misjudgment of speed or distance.
2. Lack of skill e.g. inexperience, lack of judgment, wrong action or decision.
3. Impairment e.g. fatigue illness, emotional stress, drugs and alcohol.