The Effect of Wheelchair Users on the Egress Time of Pedestrian Crowds: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis.
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| Title: | The Effect of Wheelchair Users on the Egress Time of Pedestrian Crowds: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis. |
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| Authors: | Geoerg, Paul1,2 (AUTHOR) paul.geoerg@akkon-hochschule.de, Bode, Nikolai W. F.3 (AUTHOR) nikolai.bode@bristol.ac.uk, Berthiaume, Maxine4,5 (AUTHOR), Kinateder, Max4 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Fire Technology. Nov2025, Vol. 61 Issue 6, p4331-4348. 18p. |
| Subjects: | Wheelchairs, Crowds, Comparative studies, Demographic characteristics, Safety, Individual differences |
| Abstract: | Egress time, or how long it takes a pedestrian crowd to pass through a bottleneck during egress, is a crucial metric for safety and capacity considerations. It has been suggested that heterogeneity in the composition of pedestrian crowds - such as variability in mobility, age, or the presence of social groups - could affect egress times. However, only a few empirical studies have addressed this issue. To solidify insights from the existing empirical evidence, we present a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to quantify if the presence of wheelchair users in pedestrian crowds increases egress times. We identified nine studies, all based on controlled experiments, that used a comparable layout in which groups of participants had to move through a bottleneck and compared conditions with and without wheelchair users present. The meta-analysis confirmed the findings from the individual studies. The difference in egress time between conditions with wheelchair users present and those without was close to three standard deviations, indicating a strong effect. We found no evidence for publication bias, such as the under-reporting of non-significant findings. Our work presents a quantitative basis for adjusting expected egress times depending on occupant characteristics. It suggests that the behavioural consequences of crowd heterogeneity are safety relevant and require further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Engineering Source |
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| Abstract: | Egress time, or how long it takes a pedestrian crowd to pass through a bottleneck during egress, is a crucial metric for safety and capacity considerations. It has been suggested that heterogeneity in the composition of pedestrian crowds - such as variability in mobility, age, or the presence of social groups - could affect egress times. However, only a few empirical studies have addressed this issue. To solidify insights from the existing empirical evidence, we present a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to quantify if the presence of wheelchair users in pedestrian crowds increases egress times. We identified nine studies, all based on controlled experiments, that used a comparable layout in which groups of participants had to move through a bottleneck and compared conditions with and without wheelchair users present. The meta-analysis confirmed the findings from the individual studies. The difference in egress time between conditions with wheelchair users present and those without was close to three standard deviations, indicating a strong effect. We found no evidence for publication bias, such as the under-reporting of non-significant findings. Our work presents a quantitative basis for adjusting expected egress times depending on occupant characteristics. It suggests that the behavioural consequences of crowd heterogeneity are safety relevant and require further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00152684 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10694-025-01740-y |
