Using aVirtual Environment to Study Pedestrian Behaviors: HowDoes Time Pressure Affect Children’s andAdults ’ Street Crossing Behaviors?

Objective The aim of this study was to examine how crossing under time pressure influences the pedestrian behaviors of children and adults. Methods Using a highly immersive virtual reality system interfaced with a 3D movement measurement system, various indices of children’s and adults ’ crossing behaviors were measured under time-pressure and no time-pressure conditions. Results Pedestrians engaged in riskier crossing behaviors on time-pressure trials as indicated by appraising traffic for a shorter period before initiating their crossing, selecting shorter more hazardous temporal gaps to cross into, and having the car come closer to them (less time to spare). There were no age or sex differences in how time pressure affected crossing behaviors. Conclusions The current findings indicate that, at all ages, pedestrians experience greater exposure to traffic dangers when they cross under time pressure. Key words children; injury risk; pedestrians; time pressure. Child pedestrian injuries are an issue worldwide, with more than 30,000 children killed annually (Toroyan & Peden, 2007). Moreover, unlike other causes of preventable injuries, this one has not been declining in recent years (World Health Organization, 2008). Children in the 5- to 10-year age range are at particular risk and account for a disproportionate number of pedestrian injuries (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control [NCIPC], 2013). Identifying factors that increase young children’s risk of pe-destrian injury is essential for developing effective prevention strategies. Research has shown that a variety of factors elevate risk of pe-destrian injury for children. These include environmental factors, such as road design, traffic speed, and volume (Mueller, Rivara, Lii