Influence of Age and Gender on Pedestrian Rule Compliance and Crossing Behavior

To successfully navigate roads, autonomous cars must understand the behaviors of individuals of different ages and genders. It is crucial to thoroughly comprehend pedestrians' vulnerabilities and risky choices to ensure their safety. This paper focuses on pedestrian behavior, particularly regarding street crossings and compliance with rules among pedestrians of various ages and genders at both signalized and unsignalized crossings. To evaluate how pedestrian demographics influence rule compliance and crossing decisions, video-based observation is utilized. The study found that older adults and seniors tend to break laws more frequently than younger adults. Moreover, although women generally adhere to laws more than men, the difference between genders is not substantial. However, the activities, walking speeds, and decision-making processes of older and very young pedestrians make them more prone to accidents.