Infrastructure use and related safety feeling of different road user types globally

Abstract

Road crashes are a complex phenomenon affected by several parameters that can be categorized into three distinct aspects: road users, vehicles, and road infrastructure. Effective infrastructure enhances safety, accessibility and transportation efficiency. The objective of this paper is to investigate trends in road infrastructure usage and safety perceptions among car drivers and vulnerable road users across different types of roads worldwide. For the study, data from the third edition of the E-Survey on Road Users' Attitudes (ESRA3), conducted in 2023 and covering 39 countries from 5 continents, were utilized. The results revealed that car drivers in Europe have the highest usage of inter-city motorways, while America leads in using thoroughfares and high-speed roads within cities. Moreover, in Europe, rural roads and roads connecting towns and villages are heavily utilized. Moped riders and motorcyclists frequently use urban thoroughfares, especially in America and Europe, whereas cyclists and pedestrians show the highest usage of urban roads with dedicated infrastructure, such as cycle lanes and sidewalks, respectively. Car drivers generally perceive inter-city motorways as relatively safe, while moped riders and motorcyclists perceive thoroughfares within cities as safer in America, compared to Asia-Oceania. Similarly, cyclists express higher safety perceptions on urban roads with cycle lanes, particularly in Europe, and pedestrians consistently feel safest on urban streets and roads with sidewalks. Furthermore, moderate to weak linear relationships were discovered between the perceived safety of road infrastructure and road fatality rates, as well as between the perceived safety of road infrastructure and Gross Domestic Product. Lastly, recommendations for enhancing infrastructure safety, such as road maintenance and upgrades, are provided.