Edinburgh Napier University

  Much has still to be done to increase pedestrian safety. Illegal crossing at signalised junctions may increase the risk of accidents at the intersections where it takes place and induce dangerous habits. Therefore efforts to prevent such a harmful behaviour must be put in place, be based on an accurate understanding of the phenomenon. The existing literature neglects the impact of spatial factors such as the position of the pedestrians at the sidewalk or the possibility of having two-stage crossings. The paper presents the result of a study developed to confirm the importance of the spatial factors and to derive initial insights on their influence. To this aim pedestrian behaviour at a central signalised junction in Edinburgh (UK) has been video recorded and the decisions of the transgressors are studied through a logit model. The findings show that the probability of illegal crossing is higher on the side of the designated pedestrian crossing area. The decision to cross during the red time is influenced by the width of the intersection and the presence of a refuge island. Recommendations on further studies are developed based on the results of the research.