Implications of traffic mix on pedestrian roads safety in urban built environment.

Context and background: Cities in developing world are experiencing rapid urbanization characterized by rapid population growth. Tanzania like many other most of urban areas face poor public transport which force city dwellers to use alternative transport including walking. With lack of pedestrian infrastructures like segregated walkways, roads accidents create a great challenge for pedestrian safety. Goal and Objectives: This paper attempts to explore the influence of mixed traffic on occurrence of pedestrian related roads accidents in urban built environments. Methodology: Analysis of road accidents statistics and interview of road users and road traffic police were done in order to generate the link between mixed traffic and roads accidents for pedestrians Results: The results indicates that, the majority of road accidents involve a pedestrian with other traffic such as vehicles, motorcycles, buses, Lorries but not pedestrians themselves. This paper concludes that most of the road's accidents for the pedestrian are the result of conflict or collision with other road users. Road accident statistics indicate that most of the pedestrian road accidents involve cars and pedestrians at 26%, pedestrians and motorcycles at 39%, pedestrians and buses at 26%, pedestrians and bicycles at 4% and pedestrians and three-wheelers at 5.1%. This indicates that the existing traffic mix situation increases the danger of the pedestrian to be involved in road accidents. The paper also concludes that the violation of regulation by different roads users impacted the safety of pedestrian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]