Analysis of Speed Variations Among Different lanes at Different Distances From The Point of Initiation of Jaywalking

Abstract

Jaywalking mostly occurs when a pedestrian crosses at the mid-block of the roads rather than designated crossing area. In developing countries, reasoning of most pedestrian fatalities are due to jaywalking. Speed of oncoming vehicles plays a vital in case of initiating jaywalking by the jaywalkers. From literature it is observed that pedestrians start jaywalk when the vehicles are not even safe distances from them. Like other developing countries, jaywalking is a major concern of pedestrian safety due to lack of proper road crossing facilities as well as tendency of disregarding traffic laws in Bangladesh. However, no study is apparently visible in the literature where the relationship among the initiation of jaywalking with speed differential of vehicles on different lanes and distances from the starting point of jaywalking. Thus the objective of the study is to find whether there are differences of speed exists among vehicles on different lanes at a distance of 20m, 30m and 40m from the point of pedestrians initiate jaywalking. For this purpose to execute this research a jaywalking location will be identified on Dhaka-Mymensing highway, a major highway connecting the capital Dhaka city with a prime district Mymensingh in Bangladesh. Vehicles' speed data will be collected at 20m, 30m and 40m distances from the selected location where the pedestrian initiates jaywalking for all the lanes during weekdays as well as weekends. Required data will also be collected during peak and offpeak hours. The variation of time and day of a week helps to identify whether the speed of the vehicles on different lanes and the initiation of jay-walking are affected by temporal phenomena. ANOVA and T-test will be used for finding the speed differences among vehicles on different lanes and different distances. Effect of the composition of vehicles on jaywalking would also be revealed along with distance, speed differentials, lane position of the oncoming vehicles. The result of this study will answer: does significant speed variation exists among the different lanes of oncoming vehicles when pedestrians start jaywalking and what would be the situation of speed variations at 20m, 30m and 40m distances. The policy makers associated of ensuring safer roads will get an idea about the perception of the pedestrians' starting of jaywalking based on the differences of speed of the vehicles on different lanes along with consideration of distance, vehicle type, time and day of week. The study would also inform the authority about unsafe speed and distance for the jaywalkers of crossing the roads. Based on this findings of this study they can fix different speed limit for different lanes and to identify distance where to put road cautionary signs and fixing the location of zebra-crossing to prevent pedestrians' jaywalking.