01592853

Component

Roundabouts in the U.S. are gaining popularity because they not only reduce crash frequency but also decrease crash severity. However, the safety effect of roundabouts for vulnerable road users like pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcycle riders is lower, because of lower yield rates of these motorists. The goal of this study was to better understand pedestrian safety at roundabouts by collecting and analyzing driver visual behavior, giving researchers insight into how drivers’ perceive pedestrians at different locations within a roundabout. Drivers’ fixation durations towards pedestrians can help in understanding their yielding behavior. In this study, 24 participant drivers wore an eye tracker and drove through two three-way roundabouts: a one-lane and a two-lane. Drivers completed every possible turn maneuver through the roundabouts. Data were analyzed to determine drivers’ fixation durations towards pedestrians at the approach and exit of crosswalks at the roundabouts. The results indicated that mean fixation durations to the pedestrians at the exit crosswalks were significantly lower than that of pedestrians at the approach for all the turn maneuvers. Placing crosswalks close the roundabouts also could introduce right-of-way conflicts for pedestrians at crosswalk exits and drivers looking to exit the roundabout, creating potential crash scenarios.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ANB75 Standing Committee on Roundabouts.

01584066

16-5469

English

13p

2016

Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting

Web

Figures; Photos; References (26) ; Tables

Crash causes; Crosswalks; Drivers; Eye fixations; Eye movements; Pedestrian safety; Roundabouts; Vulnerable road users

Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2016 Paper #16-5469

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 12 2016 6:23PM