Road safety and user vulnerability in urban corridors: Empirical evidence from the city of Jipijapa

Luis Alfonso Moreno-Ponce; Lucy Elizabeth Solórzano-Villegas; Martha Johana Álvarez-Álvarez; Dayana Michelle Castro-Chilán

Authors

Moreno-Ponce Luis Alfonso Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí. Jipijapa, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9026-1009
Solórzano-Villegas Lucy Elizabeth Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí. Jipijapa, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9903-5304
Álvarez-Álvarez Martha Johana Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí. Jipijapa, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9879-0367
Castro-Chilán Dayana Michelle Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí. Jipijapa, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5245-167X

Keywords:

road safety audit; vulnerable users; operating speed; crash records; risk matrix

Abstract

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46296/ig.v8i16.0301

Abstract

Urban road safety represented a critical challenge in intermediate cities of Ecuador, where pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists were highly exposed. This study evaluated La Prensa Avenue in Jipijapa, a 948 m urban corridor with residential and commercial uses and intense modal interaction. The aim was to assess road safety and user vulnerability through a road safety audit, using standardised checklists and triangulation with official crash records and vehicle exposure data. A cross-sectional observational design was applied, incorporating daytime and night-time inspections, standardised forms, georeferenced photographic records, and risk matrices combining probability and consequence. Police crash data from 2019 to 2023, traffic counts for annual average daily traffic (AADT), and topographic surveys for geometric context were utilised. The results revealed high criticality in vulnerable users (85 points), visibility and speed control (82), and vertical and horizontal signage (79). Crash records highlighted side and frontal collisions, along with pedestrian crashes in areas lacking designated crossings. Operating speeds exceeded the 50 km/h design speed by up to 9 km/h, increasing risk exposure and crash severity. The consolidation of matrices and records enabled the identification of critical sub-sections (0+000–0+200 m and 0+200–0+400 m) and provided empirical evidence to support technically sound interventions. It was concluded that integrating audit results, exposure levels, and crash records offered robust evidence to strengthen municipal management and planning of effective safety measures in comparable urban corridors.

Keywords: road safety audit; vulnerable users; operating speed; crash records; risk matrix.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Bassani, M., Rossetti, L., & Catani, L. (2020). Spatial analysis of road crashes involving vulnerable road users in support of road safety management strategies. Transportation Research Procedia, 45, 394–401. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TRPRO.2020.03.031

Calderón, J. A., Núñez López, I., García Gómez, L. G., & Montoya Alcaraz, M. A. (2023). Main guidelines in road safety audits: a literature review. Frontiers in Built Environment, 9, 1282251. https://doi.org/10.3389/FBUIL.2023.1282251/BIBTEX

Chaudhari, A., Gore, N., Arkatkar, S., Joshi, G., & Pulugurtha, S. (2021). Exploring pedestrian surrogate safety measures by road geometry at midblock crosswalks: A perspective under mixed traffic conditions. IATSS Research, 45(1), 87–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IATSSR.2020.06.001

da Silva, P. H. V., & Bezerra, B. S. (2024). A meta-analysis of safety countermeasures for vulnerable users on urban roads. Transportation Research Procedia, 78, 452–459. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TRPRO.2024.02.057

Espinoza-Molina, F. E., Ojeda-Romero, C. F., Zumba-Paucar, H. D., Pillajo-Quijia, G., Arenas-Ramírez, B., & Aparicio-Izquierdo, F. (2021). Road Safety as a Public Health Problem: Case of Ecuador in the Period 2000–2019. Sustainability 2021, Vol. 13, Page 8033, 13(14), 8033. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU13148033

Faus, M., Alonso, F., Esteban, C., & Velarte, J. L. (2025). More Sustainable but More Dangerous Cities: The Role of Communication Campaigns in Protecting Vulnerable Road Users. Sustainability 2025, Vol. 17, Page 2002, 17(5), 2002. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU17052002

Gaibor, M., & Carvajal, P. (2024). 160 A triumph and a miracle: developing and applying sub national public policy for road safety in Ecuador. Injury Prevention, 30(Suppl 1), A29–A29. https://doi.org/10.1136/INJURYPREV-2024-SAFETY.70

Girgis, J., Powell, M., Donmez, B., Pratt, J., & Hess, P. (2023). How do drivers allocate visual attention to vulnerable road users when turning at urban intersections? Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 19, 100822. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TRIP.2023.100822

Godthelp, H., & Ksentini, A. (2024). Specific road safety issues in low- and middle income countries (LMICs): an overview and some illustrative examples. Traffic Safety Research, 8, e000068. https://doi.org/10.55329/sdtu9515

Goel, R., Tiwari, G., Varghese, M., Bhalla, K., Agrawal, G., Saini, G., Jha, A., John, D., Saran, A., White, H., & Mohan, D. (2024). Effectiveness of road safety interventions: An evidence and gap map. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/CL2.1367

González-Gómez, K., & Castro, M. (2020). Analysis of sight distances at urban intersections from a vulnerable users’ approach: A case study. Transportation Research Procedia, 45, 226–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TRPRO.2020.03.011

Graells-Garrido, E., Toro, M., Mansilla, G., Nicolai, M., Mansilla, S., & Dunstan, J. (2024). Reducing Urban Speed Limits Decreases Work-Related Traffic Injury Severity: Evidence from Santiago, Chile. Travel Behaviour and Society, 40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tbs.2025.101034

Hermida, C., Cordero, M., & Orellana, D. (2019). Analysis of the influence of urban built environment on pedestrian flow in an intermediate-sized city in the Andes of Ecuador. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 13(10), 777–787. https://doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2018.1514445

International Injury Research Unit. (2023). Status Summary 2022: Road Safety Risk Factors Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/2024-02/20230602bigrsguayaquil11pages_0.pdf

Kayisu, A. K., Bahnasawi, M. El, Mikušová, M., Egbine, K., Alsisi, M., Kambale, W. V., Bokoro, P. N., & Kyamakya, K. (2024). Navigating Chaos: A Qualitative System Dynamics-based Analysis of Road Safety Challenges for Vulnerable Road Users in a Major Developing City (Kinshasa). WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, 20, 1085–1097. https://doi.org/10.37394/232015.2024.20.99

Klanjčić, M., Gauvin, L., Tizzoni, M., & Szell, M. (2022). Identifying urban features for vulnerable road user safety in Europe. EPJ Data Science 2022 11:1, 11(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1140/EPJDS/S13688-022-00339-5

Martinez, S., Sanchez, R., & Yañez-Pagans, P. (2019). Road safety: challenges and opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Latin American Economic Review, 28(1), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1186/S40503-019-0078-0

Mohan, D., Tiwari, G., Varghese, M., Bhalla, K., John, D., Saran, A., & White, H. (2020). PROTOCOL: Effectiveness of road safety interventions: An evidence and gap map. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 16(1), e1077. https://doi.org/10.1002/CL2.1077

Moreno-Ponce, L. A., Pérez-Zuriaga, A. M., & García, A. (2025). Predictive Models and GIS for Road Safety: Application to a Segment of the Chone–Flavio Alfaro Road. Sustainability 2025, Vol. 17, Page 5032, 17(11), 5032. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU17115032

Mukhametshina, R., & Zagidullin, R. (2021). Road safety research in a safety audit. E3S Web of Conferences, 274, 02005. https://doi.org/10.1051/E3SCONF/202127402005

Shohel Parvez, M., & Moridpour, S. (2025). Application of smart technologies in safety of vulnerable road users: A review. International Journal of Transportation Science and Technology, 18, 285–304. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJTST.2024.07.006

Sosik-Filipiak, K., & Osypchuk, O. (2023). Identification of Solutions for Vulnerable Road Users Safety in Urban Transport Systems: Grounded Theory Research. Sustainability 2023, Vol. 15, Page 10568, 15(13), 10568. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU151310568

Zhang, Z., Wei, C., Wu, G., & Barth, M. J. (2025). Vulnerable Road User Detection for Roadside-Assisted Safety Protection: A Comprehensive Survey. Applied Sciences 2025, Vol. 15, Page 3797, 15(7), 3797. https://doi.org/10.3390/APP15073797