Pedestrian surveys
A record of people on foot: where they walk, where they cross, and when.
Vehicle surveys do not describe the pavement. A pedestrian survey is used when the question is about people walking: the number using a footway, the number crossing at a particular place, or the way that activity bunches at certain times.
What is recorded
A surveyor counts pedestrian movements at an agreed point, with the time and the direction of movement. A crossing survey notes which way people cross. A footway survey notes movement along the pavement. The report says which of those was done, because they answer different questions. School arrival and departure, a village centre, a route to a bus stop, and a junction with no formal crossing are typical reasons to commission one.
Alongside vehicle surveys
Pedestrian activity is often raised in the same breath as vehicle speed, especially near a school. The two measurements can be commissioned together, but they should not be collapsed into one number. A road can have a modest pedestrian flow and high vehicle speeds, or a heavy footfall and slow traffic. Speed surveys and traffic counts cover the vehicle side.
What the report is for
The report gives a committee or a school a description they can share: how many people, where, and when. It does not predict collisions, and it does not replace a road safety audit. It records what the surveyor saw.