Abstract

Introduction: Pedestrians are the most vulnerable street users and unsafe traffic behaviour may endanger their lives. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of unsafe behaviours and their predictors among pedestrians in a city according to gender, time of day, and location. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, unsafe behaviours of 391 pedestrians in 17 locations were observed directly using recorded videos. The samples and locations were randomly selected. Two trained observers recorded behaviours using a 15-item checklist. Chi-square test, independent t-test, and ANOVA were used to examine the differences among independent variables. In addition; binary logistic regression was utilized to investigate the relationship between high-risk behaviours and independent variables. Results: Each pedestrian exhibited an average of 4.8 (±2.2) high-risk behaviours. The most frequent unsafe behaviours included not looking left, right, and left NLLRL (84.7%), not using pedestrian bridges (63.5%), as well as crosswalks (60.9%). Pedestrians displayed more risky behaviours at roundabouts (P < 0.001). The category �unsafe crossing behaviour� put pedestrians at greater risk at roundabouts. The likelihood of not crossing at crosswalks, diagonal crossing, crossing between cars, and running was 5.14, 3.1, 3.6, and 2.23 times higher at roundabouts compared to intersections. The probability of pedestrians crossing the street along with others was 2.2 times higher in the evening than in the morning. Conclusion: Pedestrians in cities may be engaged in risky behaviours which endanger their lives. These behaviours should be explored for designing and implementing targeted interventional programs to reduce injuries and deaths among pedestrians. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd