Unmarked pedestrian crosswalks - Safety and accessibility

In Norway, marked crosswalks with zebra stripes imply that motor vehicles have to yield for crossing pedestrians. At locations were marked crosswalks are not recommended because of high speed or too few pedestrians, unmarked crosswalks may be installed. These accommodate for crossing, but without pedestrians having the right of way. The present study has investigated the effects of unmarked crosswalks on pedestrians’ behavior and subjective experiences with the help of video observations, road side surveys, and qualitative interviews. Unmarked crosswalks facilitate crossing compared to sites without pedestrian accommodation, but they may be perceived as highly unsafe. For some, they may be an insurmountable obstacle, especially for blind or disabled people and for children. These groups require more comprehensive measures for being able to cross safely, such as signal control. On roads with high volumes and/or high speed, such measures would also be beneficial for all other pedestrians.