Trend in the number of accidents
The trend in the number of traffic accidents between 1997 and 2007 causing pedestrian casualties and fatalities is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively, by speed at the time of danger recognition. For ease of comparison, indices of these numbers are shown in Figs. 3 and 4 for each speed range, with the number in 1997 set to 1.
While there has been a significant decrease in both types of accidents for the higher speed ranges, we can see a slight increase in the accidents causing casualties and only a slight decrease in the fatal accidents for the lower speed range in this 10−year period. If traffic accidents in the higher speed ranges continue to decrease, those in the lower speed range are expected to make up a larger part of the total number of accidents in the future.
Details of accidents in 2007
Figures 5 and 6 show the number of traffic accidents causing pedestrian casualties (66,592) and fatalities (1,839) recorded in 2007, by speed at the time of danger recognition, at intervals of 10 km/h. For accidents causing casualties, we can see impressive figures in the low speed range of 20 km/h or lower, accounting for 67% of the total.
By contrast, for fatal accidents, the share of figures in the low speed range is only 17%, that of the speed range
31−60 km/h (peaking at 41−50 km/h) accounting for 64%.
In the following sections, the speed range 31−60 km/h is called the "medium/high speed range" for comparison with the low speed range.
|
