Community
Warsaw The Municipal Roads Authority of the City of Warsaw launched a road safety audit in 2016 to address the high number of pedestrian deaths in road accidents in Poland. Speeding had been identified as the main cause and the audit found that the risk of an accident increased by 30% at night, especially in areas with a high traffic density. This was partly attributed to a lack of clear visibility of pedestrians. The city launched a plan to upgrade the lighting at pedestrian crossings in 12 districts by 2019, using state-of-the-art LED luminaires that provide the necessary vertical and horizontal illuminance to improve visibility for both pedestrians and drivers. The new lighting has created a safer, more comfortable and accessible night-time environment for pedestrians and reduced the number of pedestrian road deaths in the city. The success of the project resulted in the City of Warsaw being nominated as a finalist for the 2022 EU Urban Road Safety Award.
One way to improve the quality of life for citizens is to ensure road safety for pedestrians. In the European Union, there are 9.7 road deaths per million inhabitants (with variations between countries) 14 and in 2019 one in five of all road fatalities in the EU were pedestrians. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable; in 2020 as many as one in two pedestrian fatalities (48%) were people aged 65 and over. In addition, there were more pronounced peaks in the morning and evening for pedestrian deaths than for all road fatalities. Furthermore, the monthly distribution was very different from that of other road users, with up to twice as many pedestrians killed in the winter months than in March to June. Properly lit pedestrian crossings are therefore a key factor in reducing such fatalities.
Effective pedestrian crossing lighting must ensure that the crossing is highly visible and distinguishable from the surrounding area, provide drivers with clear visibility of pedestrians approaching and using the crossing, and minimise glare for drivers. Schréder has a long history of developing specific optics for pedestrian crossing lighting to ensure the safety of both drivers and pedestrians.
11.7 By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.
(14) Source: European Road Safety Observatory (Facts and Figures – Pedestrians – 2023), available at: https://road-safety.transport.ec. europa.eu/system/files/2023-02/ff_pedestrians_20230213.pdf
45
Powered by FlippingBook