Factors affecting severe pedestrian crash percentages at intersections in Colorado 2006-2018

This article investigates factors associated with fatal and severe injury pedestrian crash percentages at intersections in Colorado. Many published studies associate road and traveler characteristics with the frequency or severity of pedestrian crashes without reference to specific locations. The objective of this study is to determine whether road and traveler characteristics, aggregated by intersection, partly explain differences in severe crash percentages at intersections. From 2006 to 2018, there were a total of 17,047 reported crashes involving pedestrians and motor vehicles in all of Colorado. This study analyzes 3,015 of these crashes that had the GPS coordinates needed to identify their locations at intersections and included the information needed to identify the pedestrian outcomes of the crash. The results of logistic and linear regressions found that lighting condition, vehicle speed, turning movement of vehicle, vehicle type, pedestrian age, and driver or pedestrian impairment by drugs or alcohol were most associated with severe crash percentages at intersections. These findings identify crash characteristics at intersections with higher severe crash proportions that can potentially be addressed to improve safety.