Students from WVU's Department of Communication were invited in May to present their research on pedestrian safety to the City of Morgantown. An overview of their data is presented in this presentation.

1. Pedestrian Safety Assessments
and Observations
Comm 509:
Health Communication Dissemination
Spring 2012

2. Pedestrian Safety Background
 A pedestrian or bicyclist is killed every 4
minutes1
 More than 30,000 injuries in 20092
 More than 4,000 fatalities in 20092
 Individuals aged 18-25 have the highest rates
of pedestrian-related injuries and fatalities3:
1Short,J. R., & Pinet-Peralta, L. M. (2010). No accident: Traffic and pedestrians in the modern city. Motilities, 5,
41-59. doi:10.1080/17450100903434998
2NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). (2009). Traffic safety facts. Retrieved January 25,
2012, from http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811394.pdf
3Redmon, T. (2003). Assessing the attitudes and behaviors of pedestrians and drivers in traffic
situations. Institute of Transportation Engineers Journal, 73, 26-30.

3. Save a Life
Presented by:
Melissa Ceo

4. Save a Life: Background
 Speeding is the third leading cause of car
crashes4
– In West Virginia, 356 fatalities were due to
speeding in 20094
– Nationally, ~13,000 fatalities occur annually4
 Texting while driving increases the chance
of a crash by 23 times4
4NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). (2009). Traffic safety facts. Retrieved January 25,
2012, from http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811394.pdf

5. Save a Life: Methods
 Survey (167 participants)
 Focus groups (13 participants)
 2 individual interviews

6. Save a Life: Formative Research Results
 Speeding Findings
– 48% of survey respondents indicated they would
speed in the next year
– 100% of focus group participants stated speeding
is common in Morgantown
 Texting Findings
– Approximately 60% of survey respondents
reported they would text while driving in the next
year
– 77% of focus group participants also indicated
that they have texted while driving and 62% will
continue to do so

7. Save a Life: Message
Did you know?
Speeding is a major
contributing factor
in 31% of all fatal
crashes.
Save a life.
Don’t speed and drive.

8. Please Cross Responsibly
Presented by:
Nick Coradetti

9. Please Cross Responsibly: Methods
 Audience Analysis
– 200 intercept surveys
– 3 focus groups (14 participants)
– 1 individual interview
 Message Testing
– 2 focus groups (9 participants)

10. Please Cross Responsibly: Results
Survey Participants
 27% reported they think cell phone use is
risky for pedestrians
 91% admitted to talking on a cell phone
while walking
 93% admitted to texting on a cell phone
while walking

11. Please Cross Responsibly: Results
Focus Group Participants
 100% admitted to engaging in distracted
walking
 100% agreed they were capable of
avoiding distracted walking
 100% reported they must feel threatened
or be personally affected to avoid
distracting behaviors

12. Please Cross Responsibly: Campaign

13. Give Drivers a Hand
Presented by:
Alannah Maxwell

14. Give Drivers a Hand: Background
 Intent to cross is difficult to recognize
 Intervention in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
– “Increasing Driver Yielding and Pedestrian
Signaling with Prompting, Feedback, and
Reinforcement”5
• Increased yielding and signaling by 20%
• Implemented on two dangerous streets
• Similar size and population as Morgantown
5Van Houten, R., Louis Malenfant, J. E., & Rolider, A. (1985). Increasing driver yielding and pedestrian
signaling with prompting, feedback, and enforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 18, 103-110

15. Give Drivers a Hand: Data Collection
 Crosswalk observations (10 hours)
 Intercept interviews with pedestrians
(99 participants)
– Crossing behaviors
– Beliefs about safety
– Attitude toward signaling
– Perceptions of most/least likely to yield

16. Give Drivers a Hand: Observational Research
and Onsite Interview Results
 45% of drivers actually yielded at crosswalks
– 38% of pedestrians believed drivers typically
yield
 18% of pedestrians reported being hit
 65% reported near misses
 77% reported willingness to use a hand
signal
– 75% reported that it would be easy to remember

17. Give Drivers a Hand: Messages
 Tagline:
Give Drivers a Hand
 Pamphlet:
5 Great Reasons to
Yield to Pedestrians

18. Questions and/or Comments
 For more information, please contact:
– Save a Life
• Melissa Ceo, Zac Goldman, Brittany Swope, Anna Wagenhouser
– Please Cross Responsibly
• Nick Coradetti, Rebecca DiClemente, Kaitlyn Gibbons, Jessica Kirk
– Give Drivers a Hand
• Shelly Dusic, Alannah Maxwell, Erik Neville, Melody Thomas
– Course Instructor
• Maria Brann
– Maria.Brann@mail.wvu.edu
– 304.293.3905