Behavior and awareness of road traffic hazards among pedestrians in Poland under 18 and over 65 years of age

Abstract

ObjectivesExamining similarities and differences in road behavior and knowledge about selected aspects of road safety in two different age groups of pedestrians, i.e. people under 18 and over 65 years of age.Material and methodsThe analysis is based on a study conducted using a survey questionnaire in the period December 20, 2022 - June 1, 2023. 625 people took part in the study, 268 people under 18 and 357 people over 65.ResultsResearch shows that both groups tend to engage in dangerous behaviors. Young people are more likely to cross the road in unauthorized places and to cross pedestrian crossings without traffic lights, using mobile phones and headphones. Older people are less likely to wear reflective elements. Awareness of selected threats in both age groups is low.ConclusionsThe research shows that both young and older people do not always behave safely on the road. People under 18 are more often responsible for dangerous behavior at pedestrian crossings. Another important problem is the lack of proper knowledge about the threats to which pedestrians are exposed and the lack of awareness of dangerous situations. In this study, most respondents were not aware of the dangers posed, partly due to their inappropriate behavior. Most questions regarding possible threats were answered incorrectly almost every time by over half of respondents in both age groups. None of the surveyed groups has an advantage regarding road traffic hazards. People under 18 more often correctly answered questions about priority at a pedestrian crossing and the driver's reaction time to the appearance of a live obstacle. People over 65 more often indicated the correct answer regarding the braking distance and the distance covered by a driver traveling at a speed of 50 km/h.