Almost half of incidents involving pedestrians occur when they are on the sidewalk, a bike path, or in a pedestrian zone, and not when they are hit while crossing the street, as is commonly expected. This is according to a new study by the Traffic Safety Institute Vias.
Also noteworthy: 1 in 5 accidents or near-accidents involving pedestrians occur in pedestrian zones.
Young people and people over 65 are most often involved
The Vias Institute collected testimonies from more than 500 pedestrians and drivers of all types of vehicles who were involved in a total of 777 incidents involving pedestrians over the past year.
To be clear: in 2024, 4,057 pedestrians were officially injured in accidents, 15% less than in 2015. Young people under 17 and people over 65 are most often involved in pedestrian accidents.
Many incidents in pedestrian zones
The study reveals, among other things, that in 47% of near-accidents, the pedestrian was crossing the road. It is also surprising that many incidents occur in pedestrian zones, where there are regular conflicts with two-wheelers.
“One in five incidents between a pedestrian and a cyclist takes place in a pedestrian zone. In incidents involving an e-scooter user, this figure is as high as two in five,” says Vias.
Cyclists and e-scooter users are permitted to ride in pedestrian zones if a traffic sign allows it, and they must ride at a walking pace in any case. However, this rule is also under pressure, as it is likely to be abolished in Brussels city center, among other places.
Serious accidents quadruple after dark
As always and everywhere, inattentiveness on the part of road users often plays a role in incidents (29%). They are frequently busy on their cell phones (9%), the driver is distracted, or pedestrians are distracted because they are engrossed in conversation. In addition, aggressive driving (38%), such as speeding, and failure to respect right-of-way rules (19%), are also frequently reported as causes.
The Vias Institute advises road users always to respect the speed limit, adjust their speed to the circumstances, and observe the right-of-way rules at crossings. It also calls on policymakers to design pedestrian zones intelligently. 82% of accidents involving pedestrians occur in built-up areas. However, ‘only’ 66% of fatal accidents occur in built-up areas. The severity of accidents at night is 4 times higher than during the day.
The results of the study will be published at a symposium organized by Vias today at the UZ Brussels hospital. Dozens of experts will discuss the future of road safety.
And one more thing: All Belgians together walk an average of 21 million kilometers every day, or an average of 2,28 km/day. The health benefits, such as a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and lower mortality risk, begin to be seen at 6,000 to 7,000 steps per day, which is equivalent to 4 to 5 km.
