Pedestrian safety - Global Road Safety Partnership

Pedestrian safety: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners
• be provided on both sides of the road;
• consist of a hard, level surface;
• be designed according to existing local guidelines with regards to width, depth,
surface type and placement;
• be separated from other vehicles with a kerb, buffer zone, or both;
• be continuous and accessible to all pedestrians;
• be adequately maintained;
• have adequate width (as narrow sidewalks may be an additional road safety hazard);
• include kerb ramps (as they are important in addressing the needs of people in
wheelchairs and pedestrians with mobility impairments);
• be free from obstructions (e.g. lamp posts and road signs), traders and other
obstructions; and
• include demarcations by road user type when shared by pedestrians and cyclists.
4: Implementing pedestrian safety interventions
While sidewalks and walkways are important facilities for pedestrians to
walk safely in urban and suburban areas, in some rural areas having a
wide paved shoulder may be suitable for providing a place for pedestrians and
cyclists to travel as an alternative to a sidewalk.
BOX 4.3: Retrofitting sidewalks and other pedestrian safety facilities in
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Addressing safe walking and pedestrian traffic safety
may require constructing new pedestrian facilities, or
improving existing facilities that may not be safe or
user-friendly. The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council
developed a street design manual to provide
guidance on addressing the needs of the growing
population and improving pedestrian facilities to
create more walkable and liveable communities (12).
The manual was adopted in January 2010 by the
Abu Dhabi Executive Council as the primary guide
to be used in designing all urban streets in the Abu
Dhabi Emirate.
A segment of a major street, known as Salam Street,
was redesigned in 2011 according to the Abu Dhabi
Urban Street Design Manual principles. Before
redesign, the street was characterized by significant
pedestrian risk, including:
• the presence of obstructions in the pedestrian
path, including manholes, utility poles, signage
poles, and other ill-placed street furniture;
• the lack of separation between pedestrians and
vehicles, in particular the absence of bollards and
kerbs; and
• drivers failing to yield to pedestrians at free right
turn points, with vehicles sometimes queuing on
the raised table.
The redesigned street has improved pedestrian
facilities, including wider pedestrian refuge islands
and medians, median barriers, raised crossings and
traffic controls. The retrofit has generally improved
conditions for walking and reduced vehicular speeds
by 4–10km/h, relative to a comparable nearby
street. The reduced speeds are mostly attributed
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