Attachment C <br />Pedestrian safety: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners <br />Attachment B <br />BOX 4.10: Pedestrians with disabilities <br />People with disabilities make up 15% of the world <br />population (60) but it is unclear what proportion of <br />these are the consequence of pedestrian collisions. <br />What is known is that, in general, injury rates are <br />higher among disabled children and adults (61-64). <br />For example: <br />A United States study found that children with <br />disabilities were more than five times as likely to <br />have been hit by a motor vehicle as a pedestrian <br />or cyclist than children without disabilities (64). <br />• A New Zealand study found that children with <br />abnormal vision were four times as likely as other <br />children to have a pedestrian injury, and that chil- <br />dren with abnormal hearing were twice as likely to <br />have a pedestrian injury (65). <br />In addition, people with disabilities, like other road <br />users, may experience anxiety and stress when trav- <br />elling on roads without adequate crossings or when <br />using personal assistive devices (66, 67). <br />The risk for pedestrians with disabilities is elevated <br />because of the following reasons (64): <br />• People with mobility impairments may cross roads <br />more slowly and may be more at risk for falls if <br />sidewalks or road surfaces are uneven. <br />• Wheelchair users will be disadvantaged if kerb <br />cuts are lacking or if accessible routes are lacking, <br />and may find it harder to dodge traffic. <br />• People who have sight or hearing loss may not <br />be able to anticipate and avoid other road users. <br />• People with intellectual disabilities may be unable <br />to make good judgements about safety- knowing <br />when it is safe to cross the road - or may behave <br />in unpredictable ways. <br />Environmental changes are likely to reduce vulnerabil- <br />ity of people with disabilities to road traffic injury (64). <br />For example, tactile paving can alert visually impaired <br />people to the edges of steps and pavements, and <br />indicate safe crossing places. Emerging research has <br />shown some ways to better provide road safety facili- <br />ties for pedestrians with disabilities. Participative <br />research in Papua New Guinea, for example, explored <br />the views of local road decision-makers and people <br />with disabilities about road planning in rural and <br />urban areas, with the aim of promoting inclusion of <br />people with disabilities in road planning. This action <br />research has led to a greater awareness and partner- <br />ship (68). Research in the UK has investigated road <br />safety experiences of deaf people - including drivers <br />and pedestrians - and recommended measures to <br />improve their safety and the police response to their <br />needs (69, 70). However, more research is needed <br />on the risk of injury to people with disabilities and <br />appropriate prevention strategies. <br />The World report on disability highlighted the impor- <br />tance of accessibility. The basic features of access <br />should include (61): <br />• provision of kerb cuts or ramps; <br />• safe crossings across the street, with signalling <br />that can be detected by people with sight or hear- <br />ing loss, and crossing periods that enable people <br />with mobility impairments to cross; <br />• accessible entries to buildings; <br />• an accessible path of travel to all spaces; and <br />access to public amenities, such as toilets. <br />89 <br />Page 235 <br />