Built Environment Features and Pedestrian Accidents: An Italian Retrospective Study

Tanja Congiu, Giovanni Sotgiu, Paolo Castiglia, Antonio Azara, Andrea Piana, Laura Saderi and Marco Dettori
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Tanja Congiu: Department of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Giovanni Sotgiu: Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Paolo Castiglia: Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Antonio Azara: Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Andrea Piana: Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Laura Saderi: Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Marco Dettori: Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 4, 1-14

Abstract: Daily walking is a recommended physical activity. It can be an all-age suitable, environment-friendly transport option. However, traffic crashes are a widely recognized risk factor, associated with drivers’ errors or a combination of several environmental factors, including physical characteristics of the road space. The aim of this study was to assess the characteristics of built environments on pedestrian safety. Data on road accidents that had occurred between 2005 and 2015, in Alghero, Italy, were retrieved and matched with spatial and functional street qualities. On-street parking was found to increase the risk of pedestrian accidents by about two times, whereas, narrow travel lanes and intersections reduced the incidence of crashes and their public relevance. These field results could inform urban health and spatial planning policies with the final goal of improving health and providing more sustainable models of urban organization.

Keywords: active transport; urban health; pedestrian accidents; road accidents; Italy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (18)

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