Pedestrian Neglect of Highway Footbridges and Safety Countermeasures: A Case Study from Ghana

Abstract

In Africa, pedestrian deaths count for the majority of road traffic deaths, mainly resulting from bad crossing habits, including the neglect of footbridges. However, pedestrian behaviour remains understudied in Africa. In this article, we investigate the reasons for the non-use of footbridges along a major highway in Accra, Ghana, and test possible interventions. Using an intercept survey, we sampled 320 pedestrian violators by means of a questionnaire and structured interviews. Two decision trees were analysed using the chi-squared automatic interaction detection algorithm. The results indicated that men and students are more likely to disregard footbridges compared to other pedestrians. The length of the footbridge was cited as the main reason for non-compliance at designated crossings. Nonetheless, 93% of the respondents showed intentions to use the footbridges premised on some interventions. Pedestrian safety would be improved if shorter access points, adequate lighting and visibility are provided for footbridges and other road-crossing facilities. In this study, we propose countermeasures and reinforce the need for engineers and urban planners to carefully consider human behaviour in the design of urban road infrastructure.