By Andrew Caleya Chetty, CEO Starling Technologies
An increase in pedestrian incidents
In 2023, 405 pedestrians lost their lives and 6,067 suffered serious injuries on UK roads. This represents a 6% increase in pedestrian fatality and a 4% increase in serious injury, compared to the previous year. A staggering 66% of fatalities and 86% of serious injuries occurred in urban areas, where high pedestrian density, combined with heavy traffic, creates a dangerous interaction between people and vehicles. These statistics come despite a general decline in road fatalities and the implementation of changes to the Highway Code designed to prioritise pedestrian safety.
In terms of overall casualties, the youngest and oldest age groups appear to be most at risk, with 1.8 times more incidents in children aged under 12 and 0.8 times more in people over 70. A scan of local media coverage flags the daily occurrence of these incidents up and down the country, many of which take place at road crossings. Although designed with safety in mind, crossings present inherent risks where the flow of people and vehicles meet. According to Admiral Insurance, 20% of pedestrians have experienced an accident or near-miss at a crossing.
The challenges of intervention
So what is being done to curb this trend? One proposal is for longer crossing times, providing pedestrians, particularly the more vulnerable ones, more time to get across the road. In an article by The Guardian, an Active Travel England (ATE) spokesperson said: “We want to enable millions more people to travel by walking, wheeling and cycling for short trips. A big part of that is being able to make sure crossing times are inclusive so that they give enough time for everyone to cross the road.”
Extending the pedestrian green signal is crucial to ensuring that vulnerable people can cross the road safely. However, this approach is not without its flaws. The first challenge lies in the detection of pedestrians and the triggering of the pedestrian green light. Traditionally, pedestrian detection has relied on individuals pressing a button at crossings and kerbside detection sensors. Button-based systems depend on user interaction, which may fail if the pedestrian is unable to locate or reach the button. Similarly, kerbside detection sensors have been criticised for failing to reliably identify pedestrians, particularly in cases where individuals stand away from the sensor or are obstructed.
Even when pedestrians are accurately detected and prioritised, an extended green signal phase is not always necessary. Adding green light time as a standard, rather than tailoring it to real-time pedestrian needs, can lead to inefficiencies and impatience. Over multiple signal cycles, longer pedestrian phases can significantly disrupt traffic flow, increasing congestion. Congestion itself poses risks to pedestrian safety, as greater traffic density raises the likelihood of accidents. Additionally, drivers attempting to make up for lost time often engage in risky behaviours such as speeding or “amber gambling” at traffic lights, further endangering pedestrians.
Managing the interplay between pedestrians, road users, and other modes of transport is a careful balancing act that highlights the need for smarter, more effective traffic management solutions.
A revolutionary approach
At Starling Technologies, we understand and accept this challenge! We recognise that impatience among all road users can lead to dangerous behaviour. Pedestrians walking against a red signal, drivers going through amber lights, and both pedestrians and drivers waiting unnecessarily at empty crossings or junctions are common issues that lead to frustration and undermine safety. The Starling approach is to understand when demand will arise and service that demand at the right time. By doing so, we can make crossings and driving more efficient, reducing frustration, encouraging compliance and ultimately improving road safety.
Using behavioural AI, we analyse pedestrians to understand their movement, their environment, and their interactions as they happen. We can predict pedestrian behaviour to assess their needs and determine optimal crossing times and the frequency of signal cycles. By integrating directly with the signal controller, these requirements are instructed in real-time. During this process, vehicle flow and behaviour are analysed to maintain a balance between the movement of people and vehicles, ensuring smooth traffic flow across cities. By responding dynamically to flow and demand, our tools enable traffic signals and crossings to operate efficiently. This approach enhances safety while optimising the experience for all road users.
One of the local authorities Starling is working with identified the need for improved safety outside a primary school. During peak times, when children are arriving and leaving, Starling can manage the nearby crossing to prioritise their safety. By extending the pedestrian green phasel, large groups of children can cross safely, while reducing pedestrian wait times and preventing children from crowding the roadside. This approach has been welcomed by parents and the wider community. Another authority reached out to Starling to enhance safety for its elderly population. By identifying elderly pedestrians approaching a crossing, Starling can again extend the pedestrian green phase for these specific interactions, giving them ample time to cross without rushing, reducing the risk of falls.
Starling’s pedestrian safety solution has demonstrated significant improvements over traditional signalling technology. At a Cambridge crossing near Anglia Ruskin University, detection accuracy increased by up to 20%, with false positives reduced by 86%. Powered by cutting-edge behavioural AI and real-time signal control, the trial went on to deliver 38.1% faster crossing times and a 6.5% drop in near-miss incidents.
The Starling ethos is to never stop innovating and we’re working on a number of initiatives to take road safety to the next level. In 2022, Starling delivered a high-profile installation in Saint-Mandé, a suburb of Paris, where pedestrian safety was enhanced using dynamic light-emitting road markings. Situated outside a busy school and church, the installation utilised Starling’s next-generation technology to identify early indicators of danger and highlight potentially hazardous situations for both drivers and pedestrians. The project involves real-time tracking and adaptive traffic control to prioritise pedestrian trajectory.
An investment in the future
Local authorities today face so many challenges, and we’re here to support them as best we can. We encourage those responsible for road safety to future-proof their investments in this area, because what is a priority today might not be a priority in the next five years. The Starling platform is completely customisable to the needs of the environment, with functionality that can be switched on and off as required. Once installed, Starling’s detectors provide a robust platform that can support new use cases as trends evolve. Pedestrian safety, traffic reduction, bus priority, and blue light priority are just a few examples of how this system can be adapted. And, as urban environments edge closer to greater technical autonomy, it’s more important than ever that this infrastructure is intelligent, flexible, and scalable.
If any of these issues sound familiar, or if you have a new complex problem related to urban flow, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch below and remember, we love a challenge!
Reference List:
- Department for Transport (2023). Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: Pedestrian Factsheet 2023. Retrieved from gov.uk
- Admiral (2024). Pedestrian crossing confusion behind increase in accidents on UK roads. Retrieved from admiral.com
- RAC (2024). Pedestrian fatalities: Annual increase should be a red flag to the government. Retrieved from rac.co.uk
- The Guardian (2023). Extend green man crossing times in cities for older people. Retrieved from theguardian.com
