Motorist Actions at a Crosswalk With an In-Pavement Flashing Light System

Abstract

Objective: An in-pavement flashing light system is used at crosswalks to alert motorists and pedestrians of possible conflicts and to influence their behavior to enhance safety. The relative behaviors of the drivers and the pedestrians affect safety. An evaluation of motorist behavior at a pedestrian crosswalk with an in-pavement flashing light system is presented in this manuscript.

Methods: Field observations provide the basis to evaluate motorist behavior at a crosswalk with an in-pavement flashing light system. Outcomes of pedestrian and motorists actions were observed to quantify measures of effectiveness (MOEs) such as yielding behavior of motorists, vehicle speeds, and yielding distance from the crosswalk. A before-and-after study design was used. The before condition was prior to the activation of the in-pavement flashing light system and the after condition was after the activation of the in-pavement flashing light system. The study was conducted on a relatively low-volume roadway located in the Henderson, Nevada. The significance of the differences in the MOEs between the 2 study periods was evaluated using statistical analysis tools such as a one-tailed test for proportions and the Welch-Satterthwaite t-test.

Results: The results show that the installation of the in-pavement flashing light system increased the yielding behavior of motorists significantly (P < 0.001). The vehicular speeds decreased when pedestrians were waiting at the curb to cross and when they were crossing (P < 0.001). Motorists yielded to pedestrians on an average about 3 m (∼10 feet) upstream from the yield markings and the yielding distances were consistent in both directions.

Conclusion: The in-pavement flashing light system is seen to be effective to improve motorists’ yielding behavior and the speeds of vehicles were also observed to decrease in the presence of pedestrians.

Keywords:

• Pedestrian crosswalk
• Motorist behavior
• In-pavement flashing light system

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This manuscript is based partially on efforts on a project supported by the Cooperative Agreement DTFH61-01-X-00134 between the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The authors acknowledge this support and the guidance from Tamara Redmon and Gabe Rousseau of FHWA, Dan Nabors of Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., and Leverson Boodlal of KLS Engineering. The authors also acknowledge matching funds provided by the following organizations: City of Las Vegas, Clark County Department of Public Works, Nevada Department of Transportation, Nevada Office of Traffic Safety, and Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada. Further, the authors gratefully acknowledge the encouragement and support provided by Shital Patel of the City of Henderson and they thank various staff members and students at the UNLV Transportation Research Center for their support and help.