Citation

Ryan A, Casola E, Fitzpatrick C, Knodler M. Transp. Res. F Traffic Psychol. Behav. 2019; 66: 324-338.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.trf.2019.09.013

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Pedestrians continue to be considered among the most vulnerable road users, as they are directly exposed to the impact of vehicular crashes. Due to the variety of turning movements that can be, and are, performed at signalized intersections, the vulnerability of pedestrians becomes more apparent upon entering a crosswalk at an intersection. At signalized intersections, it is common for pedestrians to cross an intersection parallel to the vehicular traffic who are provided with a circular green, or right-of-way, indication. A consequence of this approach is the conflict that arises between turning vehicles and crossing pedestrians. As a potential countermeasure, this study analyzed the effectiveness of flashing yellow arrows for right turn applications at modifying driver behaviour (visual attention, intersection approach speed, and direct perspective) through a two-step evaluation, including a large-scale static evaluation and direct driving simulator study. Over 200 respondents completed the large-scale static evaluation and 24 participants responded to 144 simulated right turn scenarios with various pedestrian presence, half of which had a flashing yellow arrow display. This research revealed that drivers have a strong comprehension of the meaning of the flashing yellow arrow and did not behave unsafely when presented with the indication during the simulator portion of the study. This study contributes in the area of pedestrian safety through the evaluation of the applicability of flashing yellow arrows for right turn applications as a countermeasure to mitigate vehicle-pedestrian crashes at intersections with parallel pedestrian crossings.

Language: en

Keywords

Driver behaviour; Driving simulator; Flashing yellow arrow; Pedestrian safety; Signal design