Women’s Issues in Transportation: Summary of the 4th International Conference, Volume 1: Conference Overview and Plenary Papers (2011)

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23 PleNARY SeSSION 4 Women’s Transportation Safety and Personal Security Jeanne Krieg, Eastern Contra Costa County (California) Transit Authority, Presiding lidia P. Kostyniuk, University of Michigan Anastasia loukaitou-Sideris, University of California, Los Angeles Fear and anxiety about personal security impedes women’s mobility. The session on women’s trans-portation safety and personal security, presided over by Jeanne Krieg, explored gender differences in crash rates, injury severity, licensing, and personal secu- rity needs. road user safeTy: women’s issues Lidia P. Kostyniuk lidia Kostyniuk presented a comprehensive statistical overview of motor vehicle crash trends in the united States for men and women. The presentation high- lighted licensing, exposure, and fatal crash involvement of women as compared with men. The analysis deter- mined that the rates of driver licensing among women and men are about equal, but women drive fewer miles per year than men. The number and per capita fatalities from vehicle crashes are also lower for women. Wom- en’s engagement in risky driving behaviors such as fail- ing to use safety belts, driving while alcohol impaired, speeding (more than 15 miles per hour over the limit), and following too closely is also lower than men’s. Women’s injury patterns are different from men’s, even in the same crash types. Women are more vulnerable in crashes and experience higher incidences of spine and leg injuries. The presentation identified the need for more accurate crash dummies and computation models for occupant protection studies focused on pregnant women and older women. Naturalistic driving studies have the potential to address questions of driving behavior by gender. whaT is bloCKing her paTh? women, mobiliTy, and seCuriTy Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris Initiatives tackling women’s transportation safety needs must address how fear obstructs women’s mobility and how factors such as societal norms and expectations affect women’s spatial mobility. This study explores facts and fallacies about women’s fear of public spaces and transportation environments. The primary research questions are as follows: 1. How is fear obstructing women’s movement in the city? 2. How have research and practice responded to women’s concerns about safety and security in travel? 3. What are some promising research and policy directions for addressing women’s fear of transportation environments? As part of the study, the author surveyed 131 u.S. transit agencies and interviewed leaders of 16 national women’s groups. All representatives of the women’s groups emphasized the distinct safety and security needs of women transit riders. Two-thirds of the agencies acknowledged female passengers have distinct safety and security needs. Only one-third of the agencies believed

24 WOMeN’S ISSueS IN TRANSPORTATION, vOluMe 1 they should put specific programs in place for women, however. Three agencies have initiated such programs. Some agencies were worried that they might be accused of reverse discrimination. The presentation discussed examples of initiatives and programs that address wom- en’s concerns for safe travel. The examples represent a variety in scope and means. Request-stop programs dur- ing late evening hours, taxicab vouchers for low-income women, real-time information on transit vehicle arrival times, and public signs denouncing sexual harassment are some of the policies implemented in the united King- dom, Canada, and the united States. TopiCs for furTher researCh 1. Develop research methodologies that provide better estimates of crime incidence (i.e., tackle underreporting). 2. Develop methodologies to better understand the fear and victimization concerns faced by different groups of women. 3. examine safety and security needs for intracity and intercity travel. 4. Develop more research on the characteristics of vari- ous transportation settings and how they affect security. 5. Better evaluate the effectiveness of technological devices and Global Positioning System technology in reducing crime and fear of crime. 6. Trace the effect of design interventions, policies, and programs. 7. Develop more accurate crash test dummies and com- putation models to study occupant protection and injury prevention for pregnant women and older women. 8. Investigate gender differences in the use of in-vehi- cle driver assistance systems, in-vehicle crash avoidance systems, and various communication systems and in the risk of crashing when using such systems.