Pedestrians' attributions of risk and safety in traffic: Case of Türkiye

OpenAlex İngilizce

Pedestrians constitute between 17%–33% of all road traffic deaths depending on the region. For this reason, factors influencing the risky as well as safe behaviours of pedestrians need to be examined. The current study aims to understand risk and safety attributions of this road user group. A total of 254 pedestrians aged between 18 and 68 participated in the study. The participants filled out a demographic information form and Causal Dimension Scale-II (CDSII), which is composed of a qualitative and a quantitative part. CDSII is a self-report measure assessing how individuals evaluate the causes of events in various dimensions. The CDSII was filled out twice by the respondents: once for the riskiest and once for the safest situations experienced as a pedestrian. For 6 out of 9 situations in which pedestrians feel at risk, the most common reason was problematic drivers. Elimination of and decrease in crash risk were the most important reasons for feeling safe in areas separating pedestrians and drivers. The results showed that there is a difference between causal evaluations of risky and safe situations. The findings of this study point out to several points that require attention. One of these is the driver-pedestrian interactions. To overcome this, effective enforcement and well-functioning infrastructural improvements can be suggested.