00222301

THE UNIQUE TRAFFIC CONFIGURATIONS OF ONE-WAY GRID SYSTEMS PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO STATISTICALLY ISOLATE AND EVALUATE SEVERAL ASPECTS OF PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT EXPERIENCE. ONE-WAY INTERSECTIONS HAVE TWO CONFLICT SIDES WHERE THE PEDESTRIAN MUST SHARE THE GREEN WITH TURNING VEHICLES AND TWO NONCONFLICT SIDES WHERE THE PEDESTRIAN HAS AN EXCLUSIVE GREEN CROSSING PHASE. ALSO, LEFT- AND RIGHT-TURN MOVEMENTS REPRESENT A DIRECT VEHICLE-TO-PEDESTRIAN CONFRONTATION, INDEPENDENT OF OTHER VEHICULAR DISTRACTIONS. A LIMITED INVESTIGATION OF 5 YEARS OF PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT REPORTS FOR 32 CONTIGUOUS ONE-WAY INTERSECTIONS IN NEW YORK CITY SHOWS THAT OF 172 REPORTED INTERSECTION ACCIDENTS, 69.7 PERCENT OCCURRED ON THE CONFLICT SIDE, WHERE PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICLES COMPETE FOR TRAFFIC PRIORITY. RESULTS OF THE STUDY SHOW THAT EXCLUSIVE PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALKS INDEPENDENT OF CONFLICTS FROM TURNING VEHICLES HAVE A LOWER PEDESTIRAN ACCIDENT EXPERIENCE, JUSTIFYING INCREASED INSTITUTION OF TURNING RESTRICTIONS FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY; THAT BACKING INTO CROSSWALKS SHOULD BE DISCOURAGED THROUGH GEOMETRIC DESIGN AND STRICTER LAW ENFORCEMENT; AND THAT MORE DETAILED RESEARCH IS REQUIRED TO DETERMINE THE HUMAN DYNAMICS INVOLVED IN TURNING A VEHICLE, PARTICULARLY THE EFFECTS THAT THE VISUAL IMPAIRMENT BY THE LEFT FRONT ROOF SUPPORT HAS ON THE DRIVER'S JUDMENT OF PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT AND POSITION.

HRIS

p. 1-7

1973

Highway Research Record

Figures (5) ; References (6) ; Tables (1)

Crosswalks; Intersections; Pedestrian accidents; Pedestrian vehicle interface; Traffic conflicts; Turning movements; Turning traffic; Visibility

Highways; Safety and Human Factors

Dec 22 1973 12:00AM

• THE ABILITY OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL CHILDREN TO SENSE ONCOMING CAR VELOCITY
• THE EMERGING NEEDS OF BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION