Effect of Pedestrian Characteristics on Choosing Their Crossing Techniques: Case Study on Tabuk City / Saudi Arabia

Traffic research studies usually focus on vehicle traffic analysis. Few studies discussed pedestrian safety. On congested roads, pedestrians become under tension to pass the road safely. The aim of this paper is to identify the public knowledge of pedestrian crossing tools in Tabuk city, Saudi Arabia and to analyze the effect of some pedestrian personal characteristics on their acceptance to use crosswalks or footbridges. The present study proves statistically that illiterate pedestrians are usually not willing to use crosswalks or footbridges in their crossing. Further, females are more likely to use crossing facilities than males. The statistical tests show that pedestrian age and driving experience are not significant characteristics affecting the pedestrian crossing technique. The study recommends to strengthen pedestrian knowledge and awareness of obeying the rules and to launch intensive programs of awareness of traffic regulations.