Purpose: To determine whether the average, healthy, elderly person can cross a simulated street within the time allowed by crosswalk timers in the Metro-Dade and Broward county area. Subjects: 22 Independent Living elderly residents of Epworth Village Retirement Community in Hialeah, Florida. Methodology: Survey instrument used to screen pathology which adversely affect gait. Subjects completed four gait trials to determine preferred and fast gait speed on an indoor 6.6 m walkway and an outdoor simulated 6.6 m street. Results: At preferred walking speeds, 0% of subjects were able to cross the simulated street within the time constraints of a downtown crosswalk timer, 13.6% within the time constraints of an average crosswalk timer, and 72.7% within the time constraints of a residential crosswalk timer. Conclusion: The average, healthy, elderly person is unable to safely cross a street within the time constraints of Metro-Dade and Broward County area crosswalk timers.
| Date of Award | Jan 1 1998 |
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| Original language | English |
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