Civil Engineering ETDs

Publication Date

Spring 4-15-2021

Abstract

Fatalities from motor vehicle collisions are the fifth leading cause of years of lost life worldwide (Foreman et al., 2018) and are a great concern for all communities. This road safety crisis has been especially pronounced for U.S. pedestrians over the last decade. National records show that between 2010 and 2019, pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. increased 44% while all other traffic fatalities increased only 4% and more than fifty percent of pedestrian fatalities occurred in dark lighting conditions. This study analyzed the relationship between pedestrian fatality locations at night and five demographic characteristics of those locations including population density, median income, means of travel to work, educational attainment, and race at the census tract level from 2010 to 2019. A significant correlation between these demographic variables and the pedestrian fatality locations was discovered. Based on these demographic variables a predictive model has been built using the Generalized Estimation Equation approach that can be a great tool for planners and transportation agencies in identifying high-risk pedestrian fatality locations.

Keywords

traffic safety, pedestrian safety, demographic factors, environmental characteristics, pedestrian crashes

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Civil Engineering

Level of Degree

Masters

First Committee Member (Chair)

Dr. Nicholas Ferenchak

Second Committee Member

Dr. Joni Palmer

Third Committee Member

Dr. Haobing Liu

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