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Title:

Comparison of Driver Yielding for Three Rapid-Flashing Patterns Used with Pedestrian Crossing Signs

Accession Number:

01555649

Record Type:

Component

Availability:

Transportation Research Board Business Office

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Abstract:

An open-road study was conducted to examine driver yielding at crosswalks using different flash patterns with rectangular rapid-flashing beacons. Researchers measured the number of drivers who did and did not yield at crosswalks during staged pedestrian crossings. The study included eight sites in Texas. Seven sites were 4 lane crossings with 40 or 45 mph speed limits and the remaining site had 2 lanes and a posted speed limit of 30 mph. To control for characteristics other than flash pattern that may have an effect on driver yielding (such as light intensity and beacon shape), controllers were developed to work with temporary light bars. The flash patterns evaluated as part of this study were selected at a flash pattern workshop attended by transportation professionals familiar with the technology and through follow-up meetings with Federal Highway Administration representatives. The patterns selected for evaluation were: the 2-5 flash pattern currently in use, a pattern using a combination of wig-wag and simultaneous flashes (called WW+S), and a pattern using a combination of long and short flashes (called Blocks). The average driver yielding for the WW+S pattern was 80 percent, for the Blocks pattern was 80 percent, and for the 2-5 pattern was 78 percent. While there is a small numeric difference of 2 percent, the statistical analysis conducted by the researchers showed that this difference was not statistically significant. It is concluded that the WW+S and Blocks patterns developed as part of this research study are as effective as the 2-5 pattern.

Supplemental Notes:

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AHB50 Traffic Control Devices.

Monograph Accession #:

01550057

Report/Paper Numbers:

15-1441

Language:

English

Corporate Authors:

Transportation Research Board

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Authors:

Fitzpatrick, Kay
Avelar, Raul
Robertson, James
Miles, Jeff

Pagination:

15p

Publication Date:

2015

Conference:

Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting

Location: Washington DC, United States
Date: 2015-1-11 to 2015-1-15
Sponsors: Transportation Research Board

Media Type:

Digital/other

Features:

Figures; References; Tables

Candidate Terms:

Crosswalk warning lights

Geographic Terms:

Texas

Subject Areas:

Operations and Traffic Management; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure

Source Data:

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2015 Paper #15-1441

Files:

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Created Date:

Dec 30 2014 12:33PM