Any time a pedestrian crosses the street outside of a signalized crosswalk, they are making a risk-reward mental calculation. Are the benefits of crossing at this location and not proceeding to a signalized crosswalk greater than the risk of injury or death? They hope that drivers are being attentive and that vehicles are properly maintained so that the driver will not collide with them. In many cases, this risk is what keeps pedestrians on sidewalks, because drivers do not expect to see them in the roadway. In areas like Newark, the large student population and frequent street crossings keep drivers more attentive and expecting anything. But how will this risk reward calculation change in the presence of autonomous vehicles. Pedestrians know that the vehicle is programmed to not hit them. With no reliance on human drivers and faster perception-reaction times, will pedestrians tend to exhibit riskier behavior. The benefits outside of urban areas will be obvious. Pedestrian injuries and deaths should drop to nearly zero. But in urban areas, less risk could result in more frequent pedestrian crossings turning city streets into pedestrian malls. Will the urban landscape need to change to prevent pedestrian crossings at unintended locations?
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