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OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore how pedestrians´ safety perception concerning the built environmental characteristics can assist in designing a safer built environment in an urban area in Mexico. METHODS: The study involved two stages of data collection. In the first stage, a physical audit on selected urban roads was performed to assess the characteristics that may increase the perceived risk of a collision. An observational framework to evaluate the crossing areas, sidewalks and organizational factors was developed and used for data collection. In the second stage, an on-street questionnaire was applied to collect the perception of a group of 299 pedestrians about safety risks, road characteristics and their ideas for designing a safer built environment. RESULTS: The physical road audit identified several features in the crossing areas and sidewalks, such as parked cars, movable and fixed obstacles, and lack of traffic signage, which may increase the risk of a pedestrian being involved in a collision. More than half of the road users who were interviewed either agree (27%) or strongly agree (29%) with the statement that crossing the roads in the area was safe. However, pedestrians also identified the following elements as detrimental for the safe use of roads: lack of traffic lights, too much traffic, lack of signs, and parked cars that obstruct visibility. Participants also raised issues beyond the physical infrastructure; for instance, a lack of respect shown by drivers to pedestrians. For designing a safer built environment, participants suggested several ideas highlighting pedestrianization of the road and widening the sidewalks, along with restricting parking of cars on the road. CONCLUSIONS: This combination of findings provide valuable support for the premise that pedestrians may have a good sense of recognizing safety problems and the ability to see the solutions. Although the research was undertaken in the context of a municipality in Guadalajara, the role of pedestrian safety perception may be applicable in other urban settings in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), where local authorities are in charge of designing the road environment. This study highlights the relevance of including pedestrians' participation for a safer and human-centred design of our cities.

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Objective: The objective of this study was to identify pedestrian risk behaviors that result in traffic accidents and characterization of the accidents experienced by participants in this study to provide information for the generation of integral preventive strategies. Methods: The study was correlational, descriptive, and transversal and followed a quantitative approach divided into 2 stages. In the first stage, an observational study was performed to identify the manifested risk behaviors of pedestrians, which served as a basis for the construction and design of a questionnaire. In the second stage, the questionnaire was applied to a group of 1,536 participants. Pearson's correlation coefficient was applied to establish associations between gender and age with respect to risk behaviors. Results: The 3 behaviors that participants reported performing always or very often include using electronic gadgets (except mobile phones), not using a pedestrian crosswalk, and using a mobile phone. In addition, 18.5% were involved in at least one road accident as a pedestrian in the last 5 years. Of the total number of registered accidents, 21% resulted in pedestrian injuries, 48.3% of which were serious. These were due to external causes not related to human factors or unidentified (58.5%) and behavior factors as a whole (41.4%, 31.5% of which were caused by pedestrians). Pearson's correlation coefficient showed evidence of a correlation between age and risk behaviors. Conclusions: All subjects in this study performed several risky actions as pedestrians, at least occasionally, and at least one fifth had been involved in a road accident as a pedestrian. It is known that the surroundings can positively or negatively influence individuals' behaviors; therefore, once prevention measures are identified, it is possible to influence risk behaviors. Therefore, road safety education and the physical environment must be considered together, and efforts focused on optimum infrastructure also need to consider road safety education.

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OBJECTIVES: Pedestrian crashes are a critical problem in Latin American countries. However, little research has been published about pedestrians and even less about their behaviors in a naturalistic context. The objective of the present research was to explore risky pedestrian crossing behaviors in traffic intersections in an argentine city (Ushuaia). It is focused in different stages of the crossing process, traffic code violations, and other potentially risky behaviors such as distractions. A high frequency of risky behaviors among pedestrians was expected. Moreover, according to previous findings, it was hypothesized that men and younger pedestrians would show riskier behaviors. METHODS: Participants were 802 pedestrians (53.9% females) observed at several intersections (with and without traffic lights) in the city of Ushuaia. Behaviors were codified following a standardized observation protocol. Observers documented information on behavior previous to, during, and after crossing. Gender and age were also registered. Data were gathered through video recording. Frequency analyses of observed behaviors were conducted for the total sample, as well as by gender and by age group. A general crossing risk index was calculated to facilitate comparisons between the genders and age groups. We conducted an analysis of variance to evaluate gender and age differences for this index. RESULTS: A high proportion of risky behaviors were observed among pedestrians. The majority of pedestrian waited in the street (as opposed to on the sidewalk) before crossing, did not comply with traffic lights, or crossed outside the crosswalk. A large number of pedestrians were distracted while crossing. Men presented higher scores on risky behaviors than women. No differences were observed by age group. CONCLUSIONS: The high level of risk behaviors during the different stages of street crossing is worrisome and reinforces the idea that pedestrians are responsible for many of the conflicts with motorists. Many of the risky behaviors seem to be associated with gender, which is in line with the previous literature showing more risk behaviors among men than among women. No differences were found for age group. Findings are interpreted considering some features of the Argentine road culture.

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ABSTRACT Objective The aim of this paper is to develop a computer algorithm that analyzes pedestrian behavior at an urban site in Bogota, Colombia, considering that the assessment of pedestrian behavior is a road safety priority. Methods Pedestrians were video-taped as they crossed a selected road. An algorithm was developed in order to record, from these videos, pedestrian and vehicle positions and speeds. This information made possible the identification of hazardous behaviors, which were compared through visual assessments. Results 429 pedestrians crossed the selected road at an average distance of 4.5 meters from vehicles that moved at an average speed of 21 km/h. With a maximum difference of 19 % with respect to visual assessments, the algorithm estimated that 58.5 % pedestrians crossed through non-designated locations; 62.2 % crossed near moving vehicles, and that 41.2 % ran while they were crossing the road. Conclusions Video-based analysis can be used to assess pedestrians' behavior. Future research work should focus on improving both the accuracy and the number of safety parameters of the algorithm.(AU)

RESUMEN Objetivo La medición del comportamiento de peatones es una prioridad de la seguridad vial. Por lo anterior, se desarrolló un algoritmo para analizar el comportamiento de los peatones en una zona urbana de Bogotá, Colombia. Métodos Los peatones fueron filmados mientras cruzaban la calle. Mediante el algoritmo se midieron las posiciones y velocidades de peatones y vehículos en los videos. Se identificaron los comportamientos riesgosos y se compararon visualmente. Resultados 429 peatones cruzaron la vía a una distancia promedio de 4.5 metros de los vehículos (velocidad promedio 21 km/h). El algoritmo estimó, con una diferencia máxima de 19 % con respecto a lo observado, que 58.5 % de los peatones cruzaron por zonas incorrectas, 62.2 % cruzaron cerca de vehículos en movimiento y 41.2 % corrieron al cruzar. Conclusiones El análisis basado en video puede utilizarse para medir el comportamiento de los peatones. Los trabajos sobre el tema que se realicen en el futuro deben enfocarse en mejorar la precisión y los parámetros de seguridad del algoritmo.(AU)

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