Associate professor Pai Chih-wei heads up a research team at Taipei Medical University’s Institute of Injury Prevention and Control. According to their research, the fatality rate of pedestrians in traffic accidents (excluding those which took place at intersections) was 120 percent higher for those who walked with the direction of traffic flow (with their backs facing the traffic), than those who walked against the direction of traffic (facing the oncoming traffic).
To improve pedestrian safety, Pai urges the government to encourage pedestrians to walk against traffic flow on roads where there are no sidewalks, and perhaps introduce new regulations.
Pai said that the government used to promote pedestrians walking on the right side of the road, however, it is safer that pedestrians walk in the direction against the traffic flow.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
照片：維基共享資源
Analyzing pedestrian traffic accident data in Taiwan between 2011 and 2016, excluding cases which occured at intersections, Pai and the research team found that of the 14,382 pedestrians involved in accidents during those six years, 75 percent were hit while walking with the direction of traffic flow.
Further analysis of the fatal cases shows that of the 199 pedestrians killed by vehicles, 164 were with-the-flow-of-traffic fatalities, while only 35 cases were against-the-flow-of-traffic. The fatality risk of walking in the direction of traffic flow is 2.2 times higher than walking against the traffic flow.
Pai says that walking against the traffic flow allows pedestrians to see oncoming vehicles and allows more reaction time. Additionally, seeing pedestrians’ faces rather than their backs better reminds drivers of the presence of pedestrians, says Pai. This explains why the researchers found that drivers are more likely to slow down when they see a pedestrian facing them, and why the severity of accident and fatality for pedestrians walking against the traffic were significantly lower than cases of pedestrians walking with the traffic flow.
Photo: Pixabay
照片：Pixabay
Pai says that regardless of which side of the road traffic drives on — be it right-hand traffic or left-hand traffic, or whether cars are left-hand drive or right-hand drive — there are countries which have passed legislation so that pedestrians walk against the traffic flow. A study conducted in Finland, for example, has proved that pedestrians walking against the traffic flow has resulted in a 77 percent decrease in the number of pedestrian traffic accidents.
Pai says that these countries promoted the practice first before making it the law. His research was to find relevant data for Taiwan, which was previously unknown. Pai suggests that the government should further educate the public and also consider passing legislation.
(Translated by Lin Lee-kai, Taipei Times)
台北醫學大學傷害防治學研究所副教授白志偉團隊發現，行人車禍致死率中（排除十字路口），順向車流（背對來車）的死亡機率比起逆向（面向來車）多百分之一百二十一，也就是高一點二倍。
白志偉呼籲政府應持續宣導，在沒有人行道的路段，行人應逆向行走，甚至入法，才能提升用路安全。
白志偉表示，早期政府宣導「靠右」，但行人應該要逆向車流（面向來車）才對。
他的研究團隊分析二○一一到二○一六年的行人交通事故，排除十字路口案件，總計六年間有一萬四千三百八十二人被車撞，其中有百分之七十五的人是順向車流（背對）。
進一步分析死亡案件，死亡的一百九十九位行人中，有一百六十四人是順向行走，三十五人是逆向行走。比較死亡風險，順向走被車撞是逆向走的二點二倍。
白志偉說，行人逆向走（面向來車）時，除了可看到車子，有更多反應時間之外，車輛駕駛員看到人的臉孔，也比看到人的背影更有感覺，這也是為什麼碰撞時的車速會稍微降低，而行人受到的傷害與死亡率也較低。
白志偉表示，不論是靠右走或靠左走、車輛是左駕或右駕，國外已有國家及政府透過立法來促使行人逆向走（面向來車），如芬蘭研究也證實行人逆向走（面向來車）會減少百分之七十七的事故發生率。
白志遠說，外國會宣導一段時間，再將觀念入法，台灣民眾不知道相關數據，因此他透過研究找出證明，也建議政府要加強力道去宣傳，至於是否立法則看後續效果。
（自由時報記者吳柏軒）
Follow Up
讀後練習
Questions
1. According to the article, why is it safer that pedestrians walk against the flow of traffic?
2. In Taiwan, do cars drive on the left or right-hand-side of the road? Are vehicles in Taiwan right-hand drive or left-hand drive?
3. Have you heard of, or do have you personal experience of, any dangerous situation while walking on the road?
4. In your opinion, what is the biggest problem relating to traffic and road safety in Taiwan?
(Lin Lee-kai, Taipei Times)
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