EVALUATING AND IDENTIFYING HAZARDS AT PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS

Pedestrian crossings are one of the most essential elements of linear infrastructure in road transportation. A crosswalk is a place where a pedestrian should feel safe crossing to the other side of the roadway. Regardless of what means of transportation each road user utilizes, sooner or later, he or she acts as a pedestrian. Thus, he or she becomes a potential victim of accidents that occur on Polish roads. A large proportion of accidents involving pedestrians occur at crosswalks, and proper signage, lighting, and traffic lights cannot always ensure pedestrian safety at a crossing. Many risks affect traffic safety. These include poor judgment on the part of the driver, failure to obey traffic laws, alcohol consumption, and poor weather conditions. Both the pedestrian and the driver of a vehicle can be victims or perpetrators of accidents. In order to prevent traffic hazards at pedestrian crossings, it is necessary to improve the following: the technical conditions of crossings, their markings, lighting, and the use of islands or footbridges. It is also necessary to conduct repeated educational activities among children, adolescents, and adults on the knowledge of traffic regulations. The purpose of the article is to present issues of road transport infrastructure based on the literature and to assess safety at selected pedestrian crossings in the city of Bielsko-Biala.