KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ROAD TRAFFIC RISK AND SELECTED UNSAFE BEHAVIOURS AMONG PEDESTRIANS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AT A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IN POLAND

Introduction: Pedestrians, next to drivers of passenger vehicles, are the second largest group in traffic incidents.Crashes involving pedestrians often occur as a result of their risky behaviour. Objective:The article recognises the relationship between selected road traffic hazards and the behaviour of pedestrians involved in traffic crashes, taking into account demographic variables. Method:The study was conducted using a survey questionnaire among 494 people who were involved in a crash.The group included 56.88% women and 43.11% men.The respondents were divided into six age groups and by place of residence (village or city).. Frequency analysis and the2 test, Pearson's contingency ratio and Spearman's rank-sum test were used to analyze the problem.Results: More than 50% of respondents answered incorrectly when asked questions about the driver's behaviour in the event of a sudden appearance of an obstacle or a living person on the road.It is more common for men (84.98%) than women (73.31%) to cross the carriageway at a forbidden place.The propensity to cross at a forbidden place decreases with age, and so, in the survey, around 80% of young people indicated that they cross at a forbidden place and 66.67% of those over 65.When crossing the