Pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users, facing high risks on our roads and streets. This is one of the reasons we are corporate supporters of Victoria Walks.
One of Victoria Walks’ great pieces of work (with the help of the TAC and MUARC) looked at ten years of police and hospital data, from pedestrian crashes in Victoria. Some of the key findings:
- Over 2,000 pedestrians are admitted or present to Emergency Departments annually.
- In 46.4% of crashes, police identified the driver as the offender, while 35.5% were not attributed to driver fault.
- Most crashes occur on roads with speed limits of 50 km/h (29.8%) or 60 km/h (31.0%), highlighting the dangers even at moderate speeds.
- Winter months see higher crash rates, likely due to reduced visibility, yet 63.6% of crashes happen in daylight and 82.4% in clear weather.
- Older pedestrians, particularly those 70 years and older, face a 1.6x greater risk of injury compared to those aged 16-39.
Interestingly, while police data suggests a decline in pedestrian crashes, hospital records show little change. This raises questions about underreporting and the true scale of the problem.
This research highlights the urgent need for safer road designs and greater protections for pedestrians.
Is your organisation passionate about the safety of people walking? Consider supporting Victoria Walks by becoming a corporate supporter.
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Check out the research here: https://www.victoriawalks.org.au/pedestrian-crashes/
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