A Non-Accident-Based Spatial Method to Analyse Pedestrian-Vehicular Conflict

Abstract

Due to the tremendous increase in automobile transportation and heavy pedestrian movements in developing countries, roads are becoming deadlier year by year. It is acknowledged that context specific research on pedestrian-vehicular conflict are urgently needed considering the built environment characteristics. Therefore, this paper aims to (1) redefine pedestrian-vehicular conflict that would enable to explain micro- and macro-built environment-related variables in a particular context, and (2) develop a methodology that could be used in a place where comprehensive data are limitedly available for a spatial analysis. This research redefines pedestrian-vehicular conflict as “the pedestrian contact with potentially harmful vehicular traffic”, rather than accidents. Based on this definition devise a methodology. The primary data collection method adopted to collect causal factors related to spatial data was, photographs. The spatial data were analysed by using QGIS platform. The pedestrian volume models are constructed by a space syntax framework and correlated with a composite choropleth map to get the potential conflicting points. A perception survey was carried out to confirm the spatial analysis. The research findings indicate that the methodology developed can be used to identify built environment factors related risk areas spatially. Consequently, it is possible to fill the research gap by introducing a low-cost, widely applicable, impartial, spatial and perception-based methodology that assesses the built environmental characteristics in relation to pedestrian-vehicular conflict. This research would support the urban planners and designers, allowing them to comprehend the risk related nature of pedestrian-vehicular conflict in their urban planning schemes before intervening with plans and designs