Pedestrian crossings are too slow for elderly people, research warns

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"The time it takes to cross a road when the green man is showing is often too short an interval for the elderly or those with mobility issues to use them safely, new research has said. The research, conducted by the Universities of Bath, Birmingham and Exeter, analysed the walking speeds of 1,110 adults aged 65 and over from two major UK trials. They found that the average walking speed was 0.77 m/s, well below the 1.2 m/s assumed by most pedestrian crossing designs. This means the average participant would take 6.5 seconds to cross a 5-metre road over two seconds more than the green crossing signal typically allows. Additionally, just 1.5 per cent of older adults with mobility limitations walk fast enough at their comfortable speed to cross the road within the time normally allowed by pedestrian signals. The study also revealed that older age, lower strength and balance were associated with slower walking speeds."

The Independent seeks donations to fund reporters covering topics from reproductive rights to Big Tech while keeping reporting free of paywalls and accessible across the political spectrum. Donations enable journalists to report on developing stories, investigate financials such as political PACs, and produce documentaries highlighting advocacy. New research from the Universities of Bath, Birmingham and Exeter analysed walking speeds of 1,110 adults aged 65 and over and found an average speed of 0.77 m/s versus the 1.2 m/s assumed by many pedestrian crossings. The gap means older adults often need more time to cross roads, with only 1.5% of those with mobility limitations able to cross within standard green-signal timings.

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