WHAT NOT TO EXPECT FROM CROSSWALK SIGNALS

TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND MARKED CROSS-WALKS HAVE THEIR USES BUT ONE OF THEM IS NOT TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS, ACCORDING TO KENNETH VAUGHAN-BIRCH, VANCOUVERS TRAFFIC ENGINEER. THEIR FUNCTION, HIS EXHAUSTIVE STUDIES INDICATED, IS TO CONTROL AND DIRECT TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIAN FLOW. AS ACCIDENT- STOPPERS - IN VANCOUVER ANYWAY - THEY ARE OF QUESTIONABLE VALUE. BASIS FOR THIS CONCLUSION IS A BEFORE AND AFTER SURVEY OF LOCATIONS WHERE SIGNALS OR CROSSWALKS WERE INSTALLED. THE SURVEY PERIOD WAS THREE YEARS BEFORE SUCH INSTALLATIONS AND THREE YEARS AFTER. ITS FINDINGS' /1/ PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS INCREASED 86 PERCENT AT 55 INTERSECTIONS AFTER MARKED CROSSWALKS WERE PROVIDED, /2/ REAR-END COLLISIONS INCREASED 32 PERCENT AT THESE SAME INTERSECTIONS, /3/ AT 17 LOCATIONS WHERE TRAFFIC LIGHTS HAD BEEN INSTALLED TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS WERE UP 26.5 PERCENT. THE INCREASE IN REAR-END ACCIDENTS WAS 17 PERCENT, AND /4/ HOWEVER SIGNALS DO IMPROVE THINGS FOR PEDESTRIANS - ACCIDENTS WERE DOWN 44 PERCENT. MR. VAUGHAN-BIRCH, HOWEVER, STRESSES THAT THE FIGURES DONT TELL THE WHOLE STORY. THEY DONT, FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE INCREASE IN TRAFFIC VOLUME WHICH IS GENERATED WHEN A SIGNAL IS PLACED ON A BUSY STREET, THUS EASING THE FLOW OF CROSS-TRAFFIC, DRAWING IT FROM ADJACENT SIDE STREETS. /CGRA/

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Vol 19, No 5, PP 32-33, 2 PHOT
  • Publication Date: 1967-5

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  • Accession Number: 00225086
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: CANADIAN GOOD ROADS ASSOCIATION
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Sep 5 1994 12:00AM