Active Road Users

Pedestrians, cyclists and those using other micromobility options are often described as active road users and they are the most vulnerable on the road. In collisions with other road users, they suffer the most severe consequences because their level of personal protection is very low compared to persons in a vehicle. Not only do pedestrians and cyclists lack the protection of an enclosed vehicle, they also do not benefit from any vehicle safety features like seatbelts or airbags, so they are more likely to be injured or killed in a collision.

Active road users are more likely to be seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes due to the lack of added protection offered in a vehicle. This means that when active road users are involved in a crash with a motor vehicle the amount of overall damage suffered is likely to be extremely disproportionate.

To illustrate, in 2021, there were 314 pedestrian fatalities accounting for 17.2% of all road user fatalities in Canada (TIRF, 2024). This number is consistent with data from the United States, which showed 7,388 pedestrian fatalities in 2021, accounting for 17% of all traffic crash fatalities (NHTSA, 2023a). In Canada, pedestrians also accounted for 14% of serious injuries in 2021 (Transport Canada, 2024).

In 2021, 39 cyclists were killed on Canadian roads, accounting for 2.1% of all road user fatalities in that year (TIRF, 2024). Cyclists also accounted for 4.7% of serious injuries resulting from road crashes (Transport Canada, 2023). As a comparison, the most recent data from the United States revealed that cyclists accounted for 2.2% of road crash fatalities, with 966 cyclists fatally injured in 2021 (NHTSA, 2023b).

There are several factors that increase the risk of active road users being involved in a collision, such as:

• Area (urban vs. rural): The majority of active road user fatalities occur in urban areas, where there are more complex intersections, more pedestrians and cyclists, and where drivers are likely focused on traffic signals and other vehicles and may not notice these road users. For instance, an estimated 75% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in urban areas in Canada (Transport Canada, 2021). Similarly, in the United States, 73% of pedestrian collisions occurred in urban areas (NHTSA, 2015a)
• Alcohol: Alcohol is a major contributing factor in crashes involving active road users. Pedestrians under the influence of alcohol accounted for 11.4% of alcohol-related deaths in Canada in 2021 (TIRF, 2024). In the United States, 18.1% of cyclists killed in 2021 had a BAC of .08 or higher (NHTSA, 2023b).
• Time of day: In 2021, three-fifths of pedestrian fatalities (60.7%) in Canada occurred at night or under low light conditions. Since there are fewer pedestrians at night, these rates of pedestrian fatalities and injuries show they are truly over-represented. In contrast, for cyclists 28.3% of fatal crashes occurred in dark conditions (Transport Canada, 2024). As a comparison, in the United States, 25% of collisions in 2021 occurred between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., while 27% of collisions occurred between 9:00 p.m. and midnight. (NHTSA, 2023b).
• Cell phones and mp3 players: Auditory cues that indicate important safety information to pedestrians and cyclists may be missed if they are having a conversation on a cell phone or listening to music. Overall, “pedestrians distracted by texting and/or reading (visually) have significantly lower step length and are less stable in walking” (Alsaleh, Sayed & Zaki, 2018). The use of cell phones, mp3 players, and other technological devices also put cyclists at increased risk of being involved in a collision. A recent study of cyclists in The Netherlands found that teen and young adult cyclists were significantly more likely than older cyclists to use cell phones or other distracting devices while cycling, and that the use of these devices resulted in 1.6 – 1.8 higher odds of being involved in a crash (Goldenbeld et al., 2012).
• Driver factors: Speeding has a real impact on the safety of active road users as well as their feelings of safety. It also has a significant impact on the severity of injuries sustained by vulnerable road users (SAAQ, 2022). The chance of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle increases as speed increases, since drivers are less likely to see active road users, react, and stop in time. In addition, research shows pedestrians can typically survive impact speeds of around 30 km/hr or less. Above 30 km/hr decreases the chance of survival dramatically (CARSP, 2023).

Certain profile characteristics are associated with an active road user’s elevated risk of being involved in a collision with a motor vehicle:

• Sex: Males are over-represented in both pedestrian and cyclist collisions. In Canada in 2021, males accounted for 64.7% of all pedestrian deaths. This disparity also holds true for cyclists, among whom males accounted for 84.6% of cyclist deaths in 2021 (TIRF, 2024). Data for 2021 in the United States reflects similar patterns. Among pedestrians, males represented approximately 70% of fatalities (NHTSA, 2023a) and among cyclists, males represented approximately 85.8% of fatalities (NHTSA, 2023b).
• Age: Elderly pedestrians are most at risk of being killed on the road. Of all killed pedestrians in 2021 in Canada, 31.2% were aged 65 or older (TIRF, 2024). Among cyclists in 2021, 23.1% of fatally injured road crash victims in Canada were over the age of 65 (TIRF, 2024). Elderly people are at an increased risk of being killed on impact when struck by a vehicle due to their increased fragility, slower movement, and declines in perceptual skills. The youngest pedestrians are also at an increased risk of being hurt in a collision. In 2021, children aged 14 and younger accounted for 3.0% of pedestrian fatalities, and 9.6% of all pedestrians injured in traffic crashes in Canada (Transport Canada, 2024).

The primary reason why active road users are vulnerable is that they lack the mass, speed, and the physical compartment of a vehicle that protects drivers and passengers in a collision. When crashes occur, active road users are likely to suffer significantly more overall harm than occupants. As more and more vehicle safety features become standard on new vehicles, it is increasingly important for active road users to remember that vehicle safety features cannot reduce their vulnerability on the road. It is still necessary for pedestrians and cyclists to remain vigilant, behave safely, and to be aware of their vulnerability.

Vehicle safety features like anti-lock brakes (ABS), brake assist, and traction control are designed to help drivers stop their vehicles more effectively and to help them retain steering control after an episode of heavy braking. Other vehicle safety features like forward collision warning systems and lane departure warning systems alert drivers if one of these potentially dangerous situations is detected. These safety systems promise to help improve overall road safety when combined with safe driving practices. In some cases, these safety features may help prevent active road users from being struck by a vehicle, or may reduce the overall harm sustained by active road users in the event of a collision. However, these features can only benefit active road users if they are combined with safe road use practices by everyone who shares the road.

To illustrate, brake assist can provide extra braking support to drivers who need to make an emergency stop. However, the benefits of brake assist are limited if drivers are distracted and brake later, thereby giving the advanced safety system less time to work and reducing the odds that a collision can be avoided. The benefits of brake assist are limiting in the same way when pedestrians or cyclists behave erratically or unexpectedly, leaving drivers with less time to react.

Similarly, advanced collision warning systems can alert drivers if they are about to collide with another vehicle, but many of these systems are not designed to detect potential collisions with pedestrians or cyclists, nor can they give sufficient advanced warning if an active road user appears suddenly in front of the vehicle. This design limitation combined with an unsafe driver or active road user can make it impossible for the collision warning system to benefit active road users.

Every safety feature has functional and/or design limits like the ones just described. Speed, distraction, impairment, and unsafe behaviours on the part of pedestrians and cyclists can seriously undermine the performance of safety features and easily negate the benefits of having safety features.

When it comes to active road users, over-reliance on vehicle safety features can be a two-way street: drivers can rely too heavily on their safety features to watch the road for them, and active road users can rely too much on safety features to help protect them when they engage in risky behaviour like jaywalking or cycling without being clearly visible to drivers. If drivers and active road users alike mistakenly believe safety features alone can help prevent crashes, they may act in ways they otherwise would find too risky. TIRF’s 2016 study on automated vehicles revealed concerning proportions of drivers reporting they would be willing to drive tired or fatigued (24%); engage in a non-driving activity (17%), sleep or nap (10%) or drink and drive (9%) when utilizing the semi-automated feature (Robertson, Meister, & Vanlaar, 2016). Under these conditions, active road users may not be able to benefit from advances in vehicle safety technology since drivers with this technology available to them may be more aggressive, less attentive, and generally more dangerous. It cannot be overstated that the only way safety features can benefit drivers and active road users is if both groups combine advances in vehicle safety technology with safe road practices.

There are several solutions and countermeasures in place to help active road users lower their risk of being involved in collisions:

• Visibility: Increasing the visibility of pedestrians and cyclists through the use of, for example, reflective or fluorescent clothing, reflectors, and light or bright helmets for cyclists could help drivers detect these road users more easily and potentially decrease crash risk.
• Bicycle helmets: Opinions are divided on the overall benefit of bicycle helmets. Although they have been linked to reductions in head injuries, this has not been definitively proven. Nevertheless, helmets are the only protective device available for cyclists and their use is mandatory in several Canadian provinces. In addition to protecting against head injuries when used properly, helmets may also increase the visibility of cyclists.
• Education: Public awareness campaigns aimed at pedestrians and cyclists to increase knowledge and to motivate changes in behaviour have had some positive effects. Programs include education, pedestrian safety messages, public service announcements, and pedestrian safety workshops for children and older populations.
• Technology: Various technological tools are currently in use to minimize the risk of crashes with active road users. These methods include crosswalk countdowns (IIHS, 2008) and adding flashers to yield signs (Van Houten et al., 2008). A 2015 survey revealed 91.8% of pedestrians believed that countdown signals were helpful in determining the time to enter crosswalk (Xiong et al., 2015). Furthermore, countdown signals can significantly increase proportions of compliers and reduce proportions of violators and trapped pedestrians compared with traditional signals (Xiong et al., 2015). Additionally, some changes are being considered in vehicle design to help reduce the severity of crashes with active road users, including flexible bumpers that absorb more energy on impact (IIHS, 2008). Most passenger vehicle crashes occur on the front side. To absorb the impact force and energy released during the collision of a vehicle the material and the design of the bumper is designed to improve safety to the passengers in the car and reduce the damage of the body parts
  (Basith et al., 2021).

Active road users are the subject of a growing amount of road safety research. Walking and cycling are often encouraged as good forms of exercise, therefore helping to ensure the safety of active road users is an issue of increasing importance on the agendas of researchers and policymakers. TIRF’s Road Safety Monitor (RSM) – a national poll designed to gauge public opinion on a variety of road safety issues – was dedicated to exploring road safety trends, risk factors, and the effectiveness of various countermeasures associated with active road users. This RSM, as well as TIRF’s other research, can be accessed at tirf.ca/projects/the-road-safety-monitor.

Transport Canada has both supported TIRF’s research on active road users and released their own information on the safety of pedestrians and cyclists on Canada’s roads. This research can be accessed at www.tc.gc.ca.

Finally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States have researched and published a variety of reports, statistics, and fact sheets concerning active road users. These publications can be found at www.nhtsa.gov and www.iihs.org respectively.

The ESRA Project is a joint initiative of road safety institutes (including TIRF), research centres, public services, and private sponsors from all over the world. The ESRA data are used as a basis for a large set of road safety indicators.

Data are available on a variety of road safety topics including active road users and automated vehicles. This research can be accessed at tirf.ca/news/esra3-dashboard-methodology-report.

BikeMaps.org is an online geo-mapping reporting system designed to collect data on cycling incidents using the power of crowdsourcing, where data is voluntarily submitted by the public through the internet. The objective of this technology is to promote and encourage safe and accessible bicycling for all.