Walking is an essential part of everyday life for a large part of the world's population, the easiest way to get from place to place and contributes to better physical fitness. Despite its benefits, pedestrians remain vulnerable, with falls being a more common cause of injury than traffic accidents. However, these injuries are often under-reported and under-researched. An international study, co-authored by Eva Šragová of INPSY, aimed to fill this gap by examining the frequency of pedestrian falls, identifying associated risk factors and exploring the relationship between these events and pedestrian behaviour.
A team of researchers led by Matúš Šucha from Palacký University in Olomouc, together with scientists from Australia, Brazil, Japan, Finland and many other countries, collaborated on the study. Data was collected in 15 countries from 6 373 respondents through a questionnaire survey that examined not only the frequency of falls, but also their consequences and the factors that influence them. These factors included physical activity, age, gender and pedestrian risk behaviours such as inattention or disregard for traffic signs. The researchers focused on three main objectives in the study:
(1) to assess the frequency and consequences of pedestrian falls.
(2) make international comparisons to identify risk factors
(3) to investigate the relationship between pedestrian behaviour and falls
The more we walk, the less we fall
The results suggest that falls are more common in young people and older adults, with middle-aged people falling the least. One explanation could be that young people are less cautious due to low perceived vulnerability. In contrast, older people are more aware of their vulnerability and therefore adjust their walking behaviour accordingly. Nevertheless, older individuals face an increased risk of falls due to impaired motor and sensory function. Researchers have also found that the more a person walks, the less likely they are to fall and suffer injuries. The authors believe this is likely due to pedestrians' greater experience and knowledge of navigating their environment, which may include, for example, a better ability to avoid falls.
The authors' team identified minor offences (such as jaywalking), pedestrian inattention and expressing frustration to other road users as the main factors associated with the frequency of falls. All of these factors can be grouped under the term careless behaviour, which can distract from the road and can increase the risk of a pedestrian falling. At the same time, however, no relationship was found between minor offences and the risk of pedestrian injury, suggesting that pedestrians are more vigilant when committing these minor offences. Another finding was that in countries with good quality pavements and accessible spaces, the risk of falls was lower, and conversely, in places with poor pavements or poorly lit areas, the risk was higher.
This study highlights the neglected problem of pedestrian falls, which can cause serious health and societal costs. The authors recommend improving infrastructure in areas where there is increased pedestrian movement, especially of the elderly. Possible solutions could include lower kerbs, wider pavements or more crossing time at signalised crossings. Together with this, prevention of inattention to walking and education about risky behaviour could also reduce the number of these incidents. The study can thus serve as a basis for planning safer infrastructure and preventing risky behaviour in public spaces.
Recommended citation:
Sucha, M., Sragova, E., Suriakova, B., Risser, R., Mazalova, R., Oviedo-Trespalacios, O., Włodarczyk, A., Aquino, S. D., Rusli, R., Useche, S. A., Martínez-Buelvas, L., de Fátima Pereira da Silva, M., Kemal Çelik, A., Park, J., Tiago Bastos, J., Enea, V., Dorantes Argandar, G., Ramezani, S., Barboza-Palomino, M., & Yuan, Q. (2024). Self-reported pedestrian falls in 15 countries worldwide. Transportation Research: Part F, 105, 267–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2024.07.009
