Risk & safety on the roads: The older pedestrian

26 June 1995

Following the publication of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne's earlier research in 1993, it was agreed that the problems facing the older pedestrian warranted further investigation. The contract was awarded in 1993, the European Year of Older People and Solidarity between Generations, with the intention that the study would recommend ways of alleviating such problems. Four separate phases of the work were specified:

• to collect information by interview and questionnaire that would provide a good picture of pedestrian activity in relation to differing lifestyles adopted by older people;
• to observe older pedestrians crossing the road at sites identified as presenting difficulties;
• to devise and test experimental measures of older people's judgement of speed and distance;
• to link together data from the above phases leading to the recommendations.