Traffic danger’s potential impact on children’s accessibility

Abstract

• Children’s accessibility to child-relevant destinations is estimated. • Traffic danger is estimated to reduce children’s accessibility by at least 75 %. • Children’s accessibility is extremely limited in non-central areas. Children are often overlooked in transportation decision-making processes, which typically prioritize adult needs and capacities. Adult-exclusive modes (motor vehicles) limit children’s independent accessibility as they create traffic danger. The objective of this study is to estimate children’s (aged 8–12) walking accessibility to child-relevant destinations when traffic danger is accounted for. Accessibility to child-relevant destinations is estimated without taking into account traffic danger and when traffic danger is considered. The results find that due to traffic danger, children’s walking accessibility is estimated to be reduced by at least 75 %. When traffic danger is accounted for, the median value for access to public transport is 0 and social destinations is 1. Children’s accessibility is likely considerably reduced by the danger imposed on them by adult-exclusive modes, motor vehicles, highlighting an environmental injustice. The tool can be used to target interventions to limit traffic danger to facilitate children’s independent mobility.

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