The Effect of Simulated Refuge Islands on Pedestrian Safety at Midblock Crosswalks

Abstract

Pedestrian crashes at mid-block crosswalks often result in severe outcomes. Pedestrian refuge islands are effective in mitigating these risks by enhancing driver visibility and enabling pedestrians to cross in two stages. However, most crosswalks in Thailand lack such infrastructure. This study aimed to evaluate the change in crossing risk before and after the temporary installation of simulated refuge islands using traffic cones at six crosswalks within Khon Kaen University. Aerial video footage captured by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) was used for data collection, and 242 pedestrian crossing events were analyzed using Kinovea software, identifying 586 instances of Post Encroachment Time (PET). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize sample characteristics, and an Independent Sample T-test (α = 0.05) was employed to compare mean values before and after the intervention. Results indicated no significant change in pedestrian walking speed. However, driver speed decreased upon approaching the crosswalks, and PET values significantly increased after the simulated refuge islands were introduced. These initial findings suggest a reduced level of pedestrian crossing risk under the simulated conditions.