Safe System and safety benefits

Places where pedestrians cross should align with Safe System principles. In general, safe system aligned measures for pedestrians either:

• separate pedestrians from motor vehicles, or
• ensure impact speeds are at or below 30km/h.

PNG: Safe System design

Austroads research[1] published in 2020 identified pedestrian facilities that are Safe System aligned (known as Primary Safe System interventions), and those that are not fully aligned with Safe System principles but can support or make incremental improvements to safety and/or mobility for pedestrians (known as Supporting Safe System interventions). The alignment of these measures for different movement and place street families is also provided.

Installing a crossing treatment can have safety benefits. Table 38 of the Crash Estimation Compendium provides common pedestrian crash reduction factors (CRFs) for various treatments.

Crash Estimation Compendium: New Zealand crash risk factors guideline

The table below summarises the crash reduction factors including combinations of elements. For combinations of elements, the highest crash reduction factor for each element has been applied in line with the Austroads Pedestrian Facility Selection Tool methodology.

Note: The CRF indicates the expected percentage reduction in crashes following the introduction of a treatment. CRFs for combined treatments are not necessarily cumulative.

Table: Urban pedestrian crash reduction factors for New Zealand

Source: Australasian Pedestrian Facility Selection Tool v2.2.0 User Guide(external link), Austroads, AP-R625-20.