The impact of obstacles on the pedestrian flow of middle and high school students: A controlled experimental investigation

Understanding the characteristics and movement patterns of teenage pedestrian flow is of significant importance for student traffic safety. This study presents the results of a series of single-file and double-file pedestrian flow experiments, aiming to clarify the impact of obstacles on the pedestrian flow of middle and high school students. A total of 120 participants, including 60 middle school students aged 12–14 and 60 high school students aged 15–18, were analyzed under two scenarios: obstacle-free corridors and corridors with fixed obstacles (1.2 m × 0.8 m × 0.6 m). Findings indicate that older student groups exhibited higher congestion tendencies. In the absence of obstacles, high school students have a greater swaying amplitude and are more easily affected by the crowd density. When obstacles are present, they move faster but are more likely to cause congestion. Obstacles impede pedestrian movement and pedestrian flow forms a unique pattern of deceleration followed by acceleration followed by deceleration when avoiding obstacles. The presence of obstacles reduces the dynamic critical density when pedestrians transition from a free state to a restricted state. In scenarios with high-density crowds and obstacles, crowd diversion strategies can effectively ensure pedestrians maintain a high walking speed and alleviate congestion. These findings provide important basis for the scientific management of adolescent crowds, and play a positive role in promoting the research and practice in the field of pedestrian safety.