Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety Framework

The Framework sets out a comprehensive approach to address pedestrian and cyclist road safety risks through the combined actions of engineering, education and enforcement.

Vision/goal

This framework is designed to contribute to the vision and/or goals of the RS 2010 strategy and the Getting There strategy. In summary, these are:

Road Safety to 2010

Goal: To reduce the number of road deaths per year to no more than 300 and hospitalisations to no more than 4,500 by 2010.

Getting there - on foot, by cycle

Vision: A New Zealand where people from all sectors of the community walk and cycle for transport and enjoyment.

Goals:

• Community environments and transport systems that support walking and cycling.
• More people choosing to walk and cycle, more often.
• Improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

Successful implementation of the Framework will be based on a collaborative approach that recognises the dual contexts set by these two strategies.

Implementation will involve national transport, local and regional government organisations, business organisations, pedestrian and cyclist advocacy groups, other government departments and the general public.

Definitions

For the purposes of the Framework, 'pedestrian', 'cyclist' and 'safety' are defined as:

Pedestrian - any person travelling on foot and any person who can use the footpath system with the aid of a mechanical device (scooter, skateboard, roller-blade, mobility scooter).

Cyclist - person on a vehicle that has at least two wheels and is primarily propelled by the muscular energy of the rider. This includes power-assisted cycles.

These definitions are based on those in the Road User Rule.

Safety - defined as the World Health Organisation as: 

"...a state in which hazards and conditions leading to physical injury, psychological or material harm are controlled in order to preserve the health and well-being of individuals and the community. It is an essential resource for everyday life, needed by individuals and communities to realise their aspirations."

For pedestrians and cyclists this means that the transport environment should be as safe as possible, so that they are able to walk or cycle without the risk of being killed, physically injured, intimidated or frightened.

Focus of the Framework

The Getting There strategy recognises that improving overall safety for pedestrians and cyclists relies on addressing both road safety and crime and personal security issues.

This Framework focuses specifically on road safety. It links and expands on Priority 9 of Getting There: 'Improve road safety for pedestrians and cyclists'

The Framework is not intended to comprehensively address crime and personal security concerns (Priority 10 of Getting There) but will contribute to this area by ensuring that 'crime prevention through environmental design' principles and safe cycle parking and storage are incorporated into the development of best practice initiatives, particularly standards and guidelines for pedestrian and cyclist facilities and networks.

Guiding principles

The following principles are fundamental to improving road safety for pedestrians and cyclists. They establish the important premises that underpin the Framework.

1. Walking and cycling are important transport modes and should be as safe as possible.
2. Any one intervention undertaken on its own is unlikely to significantly improve pedestrian and cyclist safety. Rather, an approach is required that:
   • integrates a comprehensive range of initiatives; and
   • ensures that the needs and perspectives of pedestrians and cyclists are considered fully in broader transport and road safety planning and decision making.
3. The Framework must support the increased use of walking and cycling. This requires integrating safety into the promotion of these modes, and ensuring that safety interventions are carefully designed so as not to discourage their use. It also requires improving safety perceptions around walking and cycling as these may deter people from walking or cycling (e.g. people may stop cycling or not let their children walk to school due to feeling frightened or intimidated by traffic speeds). Improving safety perceptions requires more than reducing the pedestrian and cyclist road toll. It requires improving the everyday safety experience of those walking and cycling.
   
4. Interventions should build on overseas and New Zealand best practice and innovation. The successes and lessons learned from local, national and international approaches to improve pedestrian and cyclist efforts, and from other New Zealand road safety initiatives, provides an important base for the Framework to build on. Where possible, promising overseas initiatives should be trialled and evaluated in New Zealand conditions to ensure that they will improve outcomes in the New Zealand context.
   
5. Improving safety for cyclists and pedestrians means catering for diverse users, such as children, inexperienced adult cyclists, elderly people, people with some form of impairment, pedestrians and cyclists getting from 'A' to 'B', and those using the transport environment for recreation. Some of these groups (e.g. child, elderly and drunk pedestrians; adult cyclists using busy and higher speed roads) are currently at higher risk of injury. It is important that the needs of diverse and high risk groups are considered carefully when designing and prioritising safety initiatives.
   
6. Walking and cycling have many common safety issues at the strategic level. They do, however, have different needs. Potential conflict between the two modes must be taken into account when safety interventions are developed and implemented for each mode.
   
7. Improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists in New Zealand towns and cities is essential, as this is where the majority of pedestrian and cyclist activity and injuries occur. However, this focus must not be to the exclusion of 'open road' safety issues such as those related to long distance cycling and the transition between urban and rural.