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Knowledge and Beliefs About Pedestrian Safety in an Urban Community: Implications for Promoting Safe Walking

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Abstract

As more people walk for transport and exercise, it is possible to avoid a concomitant increase in the number of pedestrian injuries. Understanding how the public views pedestrian safety can help inform the development of prevention strategies that support national efforts to promote walking and walkable communities. As part of the formative research for a community pedestrian safety health promotion campaign, we administered an online questionnaire to employees and students at a large urban medical campus, along with residents in the neighboring communities, to determine their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding pedestrian safety; awareness of relevant traffic safety laws; and effective strategies that could improve pedestrian safety. Pearson Chi square Test of Independence was used to investigate differences between individuals who mainly traveled as drivers versus those who mainly traveled as pedestrians. Statistical significance was established at p < .05. A total of 3808 adults completed the online survey. More drivers than pedestrians reported that pedestrian safety was an important problem (73 and 64%, respectively; p < .001). A large proportion of respondents incorrectly reported the existing state laws addressing right of way, fines, and enforcement, with significant differences between drivers and pedestrians (p < .001). Significantly more pedestrians than drivers supported changing traffic signals to increase crossing time (p = .001), while more drivers than pedestrians supported creating structures to prevent midblock crossing (p = .003). Effective interventions to improve pedestrian safety need to tailor messages for both drivers and pedestrians, increase awareness of the laws, and implement comprehensive strategies.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Maryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO), Johns Hopkins University, and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) for providing funding and resources. Additional thanks are extended to survey participants; Bala Akundi at BMC; Ernie Lehr at MHSO; Mark Beisser, graphics designer from the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs; Sue Baker, Eileen McDonald, Jim Williams, Nasir Mohd Ismail, Basant Motawi, and Xia Ma from the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy.

Funding

Funding for this work was made possible through multiple sources: Maryland Highway Safety Office; the Johns Hopkins University; and a Grant from the National Center for Injury Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Grant Number 1R49CE002466).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Elizabeth D. Nesoff

    Present address: Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 W 168th St, 5th Floor, New York, NY, 10032, USA

  2. Maryanne Bailey

    Present address: Department of Nursing, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, The Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, 624 N. Broadway, 5th Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Keshia M. Pollack Porter

  2. Department of Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Behavior, and Society, The Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, 624 N. Broadway, 7th Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Andrea C. Gielen

  3. The Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Elizabeth D. Nesoff & Maryanne Bailey

Authors
  1. Elizabeth D. Nesoff
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  2. Keshia M. Pollack Porter
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Correspondence to Elizabeth D. Nesoff.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

At the time of this research, Elizabeth D. Nesoff and Maryanne Bailey were affiliated with The Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy.

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Nesoff, E.D., Pollack Porter, K.M., Bailey, M. et al. Knowledge and Beliefs About Pedestrian Safety in an Urban Community: Implications for Promoting Safe Walking. J Community Health 44, 103–111 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-018-0559-0

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