Accidents to young pedestrians: distribution, circumstances, consequences and scope for countermeasures

S LawsonCity Engineer's Department, Birmingham City Council

Cost: 28,000 per annum over three years
Published: October 1990

The report, part of the urban accident research project undertaken in conjunction with Birmingham City Council, followed an in-depth study of fatal and serious-injury accidents to young pedestrians in the West Midlands.

It found that:

• nearly half of the pedestrian accidents involving those aged under 19 occurred on minor roads not designed for through traffic;
• such accidents largely occurred on roads well known to the victims: one-quarter of all young pedestrian accidents and more than two in five of those involving children under four happened on the streets where the children lived;
• one-third of all fatal-accident casualties under the age of nine were killed outside their homes;
• parked cars hid traffic from pedestrians and pedestrians from traffic. They were considered to be to blame by up to 40 per cent of those involved in young pedestrian accidents;
• a disproportionate number of children of Asian origin aged under nine were killed on Birmingham's roads, and were twice as likely to be knocked down and injured as non-Asians per head of their respective populations;
• children from disadvantaged homes were more likely to be involved in accidents;
• those aged 15 to 19 were especially at risk between 10.00pm and 2.00am on Friday and Saturday nights;
• in fatal accidents, more pedestrians than motorists were found to be above the legal alcohol limit for driving.

Back to the AA Foundation Research Briefings