Global Approaches to Protecting Vulnerable Road Users in the Age of Data

Learn how international transportation bodies are approaching the integration of vulnerable road users into their safety initiatives.

Pedestrians, cyclists and skateboarders are no longer the only vulnerable road users traveling through cities and urban streets. In 2019, e-scooters, hover boards and Segway shoes have emerged as increasingly popular personal transportation alternatives for short journeys. But with this popularity comes a responsibility on cities, states and countries to redouble efforts to accommodate VRUs into their transportation safety programs.

Fortunately, there are several initiatives from around the world that serve as examples of the collection, analysis and use of data to optimize their respective transportation networks for all road users.

The European Standard

In the European Union, the Safety CaUsation, Benefits and Efficiency – or SafetyCube – road safety research was funded by the European Commission to develop an innovative road safety decision support system (DSS). The goal was to enable policymakers and stakeholders to implement the most appropriate and cost-effective strategies to reduce casualties of all road user types in Europe and worldwide.

According to SafetyCube, the initiative has been a success thus far, but a doubling down of efforts will be required to gather and act upon more accurate data.

“The more developed information systems are associated with higher road safety performance and are a direct sign of advanced road safety culture,” says SafetyCube. “Road safety information systems are key management tools for developing road safety capacity and engaging stakeholders, not only for providing scientific evidence but also for monitoring efforts. They should be multiplied and upgraded for more accurate exposure data and performance indicators – measures and policies effectiveness evaluation.”[i]

The American Way

Across the pond, the United States is also looking to make progress in its national road safety performance, especially where VRUs are concerned. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent federal agency charged by Congress to investigate significant accidents and issuing safety recommendations, released its Pedestrian Safety Special Investigative Report in 2018 to address the continuing increase in pedestrian fatalities as a percent of motor vehicle fatalities. The report’s finding were clear cut: pedestrian fatalities grew from 11.4% in 2007 to 16% in 2016.

As a result, the NTSB has called for the implementation of a comprehensive strategy to reduce speeding related crashes, as higher vehicle speeds are strongly associated with both a greater likelihood of VRU crashes and more serious and fatal VRU injuries. Now under review by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the NTSB recommendations include requiring crash statistics and VRU use to be analyzed as part of an expert system assessment of appropriate speed limit setting, and the incorporation of the safe system approach for urban roads.[ii]