IMPACT OF DAY, DUSK, AND NIGHT CONDITIONS ON PEDESTRIANS’ DECISION TO CROSS THE STREET

This study was aimed at investigating the impact of lighting conditions on pedestrains' decisions to cross the street, in relation to the speed of oncoming vehicles and the time gap in the traffic flow. The main effects and interactions generated by the lighting conditions, vehicle speed, and the time gap between vehicles on crossover frequencies and safety margins were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVAs. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the mean time gap accepted by pedestrians. Regarding frequency of crossing, the results showed that smaller time gaps were systematically rejected; the longest time gap was systematically accepted; high variability in pedestrian behavior was related to the intermediate time gap, for which the number of unsafe crossings was the highest. Pedestrians based their decision to cross mainly on the spatial distance from the approaching vehicle while disregarding the actual time gap. Unsafe street crossings were recorded primarily in nighttime experimental conditions and/or at high vehicle speed.