Assessing the risks of unsignalized intersections to pedestrians using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) on Tubman Boulevard in Monrovia
摘要
Globally, road traffic fatalities and injuries are general health concerns challenging the economic and social progress of humanity. Most crucially, the effects fall disproportionately on low- and middle-income countries with emphasis placed on vulnerable road users. Liberia is a typical example, ranking fourth globally in terms of fatalities according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2020 global status report. The lack of multiple safe pedestrian zones, coupled with poor infrastructure, leaves the country with a limited understanding of the risks many of its urban roads pose to daily road users, especially vulnerable road users. In this study, a drone was deployed to survey five unsignalized intersections along Tubman Boulevard (TB), followed by an in-person Road Safety Inspection (RSI) undertaken across five segments of the TB. These surveys aim to identify the risks faced by pedestrians within the identified intersections and along the corridor. Notably, the intersections experienced heavy vehicular and pedestrian flow during peak hours, attributable to their proximity to vital institutions such as hospitals, pharmacies, gas stations, public institutions, places of worship, markets, and recreational spaces and most crucially, school zones. Analysis of the findings from the surveys along the TB revealed the intricate interplay between mixed traffic at unsignalized intersections and the inadequacy of pedestrian infrastructure along the corridor. These circumstances force pedestrians to navigate hazardous situations amidst swiftly moving vehicular traffic, elevating the risk of injuries.