Lost in Transmission: Digital Distraction and Pedestrian Safety in Urban Tram Environments - The Case of Gothenburg

Pedestrians are a vulnerable group of road users, and safety risks are pronounced in complex urban environments where tram systems coexist with pedestrian traffic. While tram systems improve urban accessibility and sustainability, they also introduce challenges at tramway level crossings and tram stops, where pedestrians must interact closely with rail infrastructure and moving vehicles. Digital distraction, such as mobile phone use and wearing headphones, has been identified as a contributing factor to unsafe pedestrian behaviour, yet its prevalence and effects in tramway level crossing environments remain underexplored. This study investigates digital distraction among pedestrians at tramway level crossings and examines how distraction and infrastructure design influence behaviour and safety. Structured observations were conducted at eight level crossing areas across six tram stops in Gothenburg, Sweden, representing a range of design characteristics. In total, 1,110 pedestrians were observed over three observation rounds. The results show that digital distraction was common, with 57 percent of pedestrians exhibiting some form of distraction, most frequently headphone use. Younger pedestrians were more likely to be distracted than older age groups. Approximately one quarter of distracted pedestrians displayed predefined hazardous behaviours, most commonly failing to adequately check their surroundings before crossing. Hazardous behaviours varied between locations, indicating that infrastructure design and traffic complexity influence pedestrian safety. Safety-critical situations were identified in environments with limited visibility or approaching trams from behind, where distraction further exacerbated hazards. The findings indicate that targeted design and information measures may be necessary to mitigate safety risks associated with digital distraction at tramway level crossings.

Keywords: Vulnerable road users, Pedestrian safety, Hazardous behaviour, Digital distraction, Mobile phone use, Urban traffic environment, Infrastructure design, Tram systems, Track crossings..