Speed (target - pedestrians)

Introduction

By lowering their speed, drivers can reduce the risk of crashes with pedestrians and the severity of the injury incurred. Pedestrians can also increase their safety by crossing roads only when there are sufficient gaps in the traffic flow to allow drivers to stop in time. They should also ensure that they are visible to drivers and check for traffic before stepping off the kerb. There are many reasons why pedestrians behave in unsafe ways, such is the fallible nature of human beings and the physical and intellectual limitations of some pedestrians. Training and promoting appropriate pedestrian behaviour to those most at risk will lessen the crash rate.

Community action

The promotion of pedestrian safety can be carried out by members of the community, possibly from the target group, while they are being pedestrians. Promotions may include ideas such as:

• actors or groups of performers providing information to pedestrians about crossing the road, using the traffic lights or using pedestrian crossings
• walking groups demonstrating the use of visibility aids such as ankle or arm bands
• school students demonstrating high visibility clothing.

Other ideas for involving the community include:

• asking a group of older people to write a radio advertisement they think would appeal to their age group
• getting community groups to hand out information at their meetings.

Community groups to involve in planning

Groups of pedestrians may like to be involved in the planning of the project to help their peers behave more safely.

• Primary and secondary school students provide a young person's perspective.
• Walking groups can provide information about the needs of frequent walkers.
• Age Concern or other agencies dealing with older pedestrians can provide advice.
• People with disabilities can provide information about their special needs.
• Police education officers.
• Local churches and ethnic groups can provide information on the problems faced by new immigrants to New Zealand.

Messages to communicate

Some simple positive actions to make pedestrians safer:

• Make yourself visible to drivers.
• Look carefully before you step off the kerb.
• Make sure there is sufficient gap in the traffic flow to allow you time to cross.
• Make eye contact with drivers to be sure they have seen you.
• Look both ways before you cross.
• The kerb drill promoted by Police and Land Transport NZ.
  1. Find a safe place to cross.
  2. Stop one step back from the kerb.
  3. Look and listen for traffic wherever it may come from.
  4. If there is traffic coming, wait until it has passed, then look and listen for traffic again.
  5. When there is no traffic coming, walk quickly straight across road, looking each way for traffic.

Media to use

When you are considering the best form of media to promote your messages to pedestrians, think carefully about what appeals to the age group you are targeting.

For child pedestrians:

• Posters sent to schools and pre-schools.
• A drama for children performed in schools.
• Encouraging teachers to use available class material. This might be done through the local Roadsense coordinator.
• Arranging presentations to teachers about available Roadsense material.
• A road safety song.
• Working with teenagers to encourage them to model good behaviour to younger children.

For teenagers:

• Cinema advertising.
• Material sent to secondary schools or youth groups.
• Radio advertising on targeted stations.
• A road safety song composed by contemporary musicians or students.

For older pedestrians:

• Newspaper advertisements and print advertising.
• Posters or cards delivered to clubs where older people gather, such as bowling clubs, and to older persons' housing and retirement homes.
• Workshops for groups of older pedestrians.
• Information to walking groups (the local council may have contact details), sporting groups and the YMCA.

Emotional slant

Messages to pedestrians relating to keeping themselves safe can be made emotional.

• The suggestion that you are bright (intelligent) if you make yourself bright (visible) could be humorous.
• Scary images of being crushed or maimed are emotional. Research from Australia shows that teenagers are more afraid of being scarred or permanently injured than of dying.
• Scary vehicle noises in radio advertisements add emotional content.
• Messages about keeping your children safe with bright clothing might engender nurturing emotions.
• The idea of looking after your friends and keeping them safe has the emotional appeal of friendship and caring.

Enforcement

Enforcement is unlikely to play a large role in campaigns focusing on pedestrians. However, novel community enforcement initiatives could be developed, for example enforcing and rewarding children crossing at formal crossings.

Events

You could set up your own pedestrian safety the appropriate target groups are:

• mobility scooter training or gymkhanas
• walking events or races
• older persons' health days
• Safe with Age courses
• workshops for older people
• school events or sports days
• university orientation activities.

Related resources

(The following numbers relate to the list of existing resources contained in the companion document.)

6. Sunny gets smart drama for school students – Nelson
7. Mobility scooter workshops – Ashburton
8. Helping hands: a guide for parents and caregivers – NZ Police

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Last updated: 22 February 2007