Citation

Ashmead DH, Wall R, Bentzen BL, Barlow JM. ITE J. 2004; 74(9): 26-30.

Affiliation

ITE, Pedestrian and Bicycle Council, Copenhagen, Denmark

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Institute of Transportation Engineers)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A systematic investigation of the effects of variations in loudspeaker locations on identifying which crosswalk has the audible walk signal was performed. For this study, participant groups comprised eight sighted, blindfolded adults and six totally blinded adults aged 27 to 42 and 27 to 65, respectively. A mock 90-degree four-leg intersection with 16-meter-long crosswalks was laid out in a parking lot. Commercial APS pedhead-mounted devices were positioned 2.44 meters high on tripods to simulate pedestrian signal heads. Each corner provided a different arrangement of devices to investigate the effect of typical placements on pedestrian's ability to tell which crosswalk had the walk signal. Three different signal modes were used: simultaneous, with the signals from both ends of a crosswalk sounding concurrently; alternating, with signals presented alternative from each end; and far side only, with the signal presented only from the far end of the crosswalk(s) relative to the pedestrian. Each participant was tested on a single block of six trials. Results indicate that both the positioning of loudspeakers and the mode of signal presentation influence the accuracy of judgments about which crosswalk has the walk signal.