AN INNOVATIVE PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK SAFETY DEVICE DEMONSTRATION

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PEDESTRIAN SAFETY DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM WAS TO DEMONSTRATE AND EVALUATE INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS OF VARIOUS CROSSWALK INFORMATION SYSTEMS. EVALUATIONS WERE MADE BY TRAFFIC EXPERTS, PAID DRIVER AND PEDESTRIAN SUBJECTS, AND DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS IN THE GENERAL TRAFFIC STREAM. PEDESTRIAN AND DRIVER SUBJECTS STUDIES YIELDED THE FOLLOWING RESULTS. DRIVERS WERE USUALLY SATISFIED WITH THE CROSSWALK DEVICES, AND PEDESTRIANS WERE USUALLY NOT SATISFIED WITH DRIVER RESPONSES. DETROIT DRIVERS DID NOT EXPECT TO HAVE TO STOP OR SLOW DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY UNLESS THERE WAS A TRAFFIC SIGNAL OR STOP SIGN. PEDESTRIANS, ON THE OTHER HAND, EXPECTED TRAFFIC TO SLOW DOWN IF PUSHING THE BUTTON ACTIVATED DRIVER WARNING DEVICES. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THESE JOINT EXPECTATIONS CREATED A CLEAR DANGER FOR PEDESTRIANS AT UNSIGNALIZED CROSSWALKS. BETTER INFORMED DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS AND PERHAPS CHANGES IN THE LAWS REGARDING PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALKS ARE NEEDED IF PEDESTRIANS ARE GOING TO USE AIDS SUCH AS THESE TO CROSS THE STREETS MORE SAFELY. /AUTHOR/

• Corporate Authors:

  Detroit Dept of Streets and Traffic

  ,    

  Highway Safety Research Institute

  Huron Parkway and Baxter Road
  Ann Arbor, MI  United States  48109
• Authors:
  • Malo, A F
  • Freed, A
  • Cleveland, D E
  • Arthungal, J V
  • Jorgeson, C
• Publication Date: 1971

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 183 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crosswalks; Pedestrian vehicle interface; Safety equipment; Signalization; Traffic conflicts
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223925
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 17 1973 12:00AM