Minimum walking data requirements to progress pedestrian safety

As part of the Austroads “Keeping People Safe When Walking” initiative, ViaStrada led a research project focused on identifying the minimum pedestrian data sets needed to support progress toward zero pedestrian deaths and serious injuries.

The project involved a three-pronged research approach:

• Literature Review: An inventory of existing pedestrian-related datasets in Australasia and internationally was developed. This helped identify the most useful data sources and propose a practical minimum data set for safety monitoring.
• Online Survey: Distributed across industry channels, the survey gathered insights on current data usage, key gaps, and needs from professionals working in pedestrian safety.
• Agency Interviews: In-depth interviews with transport professionals from state and city agencies provided richer context and practical perspectives on data collection and use.

The findings were compiled into a research report, a data inventory spreadsheet, and a Practice Guideline. The Guideline offers clear, actionable advice for road safety practitioners on:

• Available pedestrian data types
• Their relative importance and effectiveness
• Data availability and accuracy
• Collection, storage, and analysis methods
• Real-world examples and case studies

This work supports better-informed decisions and more effective strategies to improve pedestrian safety across Australasia.