ROAD SAFETY AND HEALTY CITIES - THE SEIXAL CASE STUDY - Presentation Abstract The reduction of road fatalities, as a factor of the community’s well-being improvement is one of the objectives for the promotion of the healthy city. Being the pedestrian injury crashes (PIC) more relevant in an urban environment it is fundamental for its understanding know the conditions in which they occurred. This paper presents a statistic survey made in the Seixal municipality, revealing some of the factors that can help to explain the incidence of PIC, giving us some clues as point to measures that should be taken for the promotion of a safer and healthier city.

1. HUGO LEANDRO, hleandro@campus.ul.pt, CEG - IGOT-UL
NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA, nunocosta@campus.ul.pt, CEG - IGOT-UL
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
ROAD SAFETY AND HEALTY CITIES
THE SEIXAL CASE STUDY

2. BACKGROUND
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
• Road accidents are present day public health problem with pedestrians being the most vulnerable
element with a global toll of 1.2 million deaths and a high economic cost. In Portugal, in 2011, 689 road
deaths, 117 (17%) of whom Pedestrian Injury Crashes (PIC). The young (20% of the population), under the
age of 20 account for 28% of victims of PIC and the senior citizens(18% of the population), under the age
of 65, 30%.
• Secondly, the coupled fact that in Lisbon Metropolitan Area the vehicles are the primary mode of travel
and travel on foot is an important method of local travel, gives place to a great number of interactions
between pedestrians and road vehicles
Fonte: Adapted from Vala in Movimentos pendulares e modos de transporte na Área Metropolitana de Lisboa - 2001 (2003)

3. METODOLOGY
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
• Collection and analysis of statistical data, mapping in the Pedestrian Injury Crashes
locations.
• Observation at the locations of highest incidence of pedestrian accidents (≥ 5 in the period
from 2007 to 2009) to assess the local crossing conditions and the behavior of pedestrians
and drivers.
• Questionnaires to drivers with, at least, 10 years of legal authorization to drive motor
vehicles and to pedestrians of various age groups..

4. FRAMEWORK
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UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
Seixal is a Portuguese city, and municipality, on the South bank of the Tagus River, making
part of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML) and a member of the European Network of
Healthy Cities since 1998. In 2011 it had a high population density of 1 654 inhabitants / km2,
with the highest densities being found along the transport structural axis A2 (Highway 2) /
EN10 (National Road 10).

5. FRAMEWORK
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
Lisboa
Lisboa by
Ponte Vasco
da Gama

6. RESULTS
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
Streets with, at least, 5 Pedestran Injury Crashes (PIC)

7. RESULTS
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
Streets with, at least, 5 PIC

8. RESULTS
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
Streets with, at least, 5 PIC

9. RESULTS
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
Streets with, at least, 5 PIC

10. RESULTS
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
Streets with, at least, 5 PIC

11. RESULTS
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
• In 2007, 40.5% of the Seixal PIC occurred in signalled crossings (in Portugal, 33% in 2007 and 38% in
2011);
• The drivers have themselves as good drivers and all the other users, in general, as "bad" road users;
• There is a proven citizenship deficit in behavior, in both drivers and pedestrians, observable on the field
by the behavior of both;
• Many of the selected roads have an alignment relatively straight and practically devoid of traffic calming
measures. As a consequence, the risk of excessive speed is potentiated.
• There is a collective awareness that the elderly and children are the most vulnerable group of
pedestrians;
• Statistically, we highlight the fact that, in 2007, 36% of PIC, in the EN10, on the parish of Amora, involved
young people aged between 9 and 19 years and occurred between 07:45 and 18:30. We also highlight the
fact that PIC involving the elderly citizens happen, mainly, between 7 and 15 hours (70%).

12. RESULTS
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
The results of the survey show that about 19-28% of PIC that occurred in Seixal happened in the center of
Paivas / Cruz de Pau. This appears to be the result of a noxious combination of a trunk road with a densely
populated area. The conflicts are further enhanced by location of a large number of functional units in the
area.

13. RESULTS
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
The results of the survey show that about 19-28% of PIC that occurred in Seixal happened in the center of
Paivas / Cruz de Pau. This appears to be the result of a noxious combination of a trunk road with a densely
populated area. The conflicts are further enhanced by location of a large number of functional units in the
area.

14. CONCLUSIONS
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
• Attitudes are not a negligible factor on Pedestrian Injury Crashes in Seixal;
• The inadequacy of the urban circulation space and the lack of measures for its regulation and
organization was another factor not negligible;
• We emphasize the existence of a regional structuring road (EN 10), integrated in the urban fabric,
creating conflicts between drivers and between drivers and pedestrians;
• It is important to identify the main pedestrian and vehicular flows to be able to create safe routes for
pedestrians and reduce conflicts between pedestrians and drivers (and among drivers themselves);
• It is important the adequacy of public transport to these flows and to promote its use;
• The application of traffic calming measures, by adaptation to the vehicular and pedestrian flows, are a
cost-effective way to achieve the reduction of accidents.

15. TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES
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UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
• Vertical deflections – Very effective but
restricted to low hierarchy streets due to the
induced capacity constraints of the speed
reduction .
• Horizontal deflections – With a lower speed
reduction effect are more appropriate to main
arteries-
• Narrowing – Studies show that speed tends to
reduce with the narrowing of the lanes

16. TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
• Blocking through traffic – In a road hierarchy
scheme this will force the through traffic to
pass through a designated set of through
roads.
• Landscaping – Used in conjunction with other
traffic calming measures, not only helps to
provide a safer environment but makes it more
friendly and enjoyable.
• Signalling and road markings improvement –
Sometimes this tend to be neglected, namely
the road markings, but they play an important
role in road safety.

17. ROAD SAFETY AND HEALTY CITIES - THE SEIXAL CASE STUDY
6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA  17TH MAY 2013
HUGO LEANDRO; NUNO MARQUES DA COSTA
CEG – IGOT – UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
THANK YOU!