LAW ENFORCEMENT, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, AND DRIVER COMPLIANCE WITH CROSSWALK LAWS: EVALUATION OF A FOUR-YEAR CAMPAIGN IN SEATTLE (WITH DISCUSSION AND CLOSURE)

Enforcement of pedestrian right-of-way laws at uncontrolled crosswalk locations and its effect on driver compliance were evaluated from 1991 to 1994 through the cooperative efforts of the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center and the Seattle Police Department. Citywide, neighborhood and intersection-specific enforcement was evaluated by using a standardized crossing technique to provide drivers with opportunities to stop for a pedestrian. The rates of driver compliance before and after the programs were calculated by an independent observer. The evaluation suggests that targeting small areas may be as effective as citywide campaigns, that brief efforts may be as effective as longer programs, and that benefits to pedestrians from such enforcement in high-volume commuter corridors may be minimal. In light of the often contradictory results, expectations of traffic enforcement to improve pedestrian safety should remain modest. Behavioral and environmental factors that are more salient to the driver than even rather intensive enforcement efforts make it difficult to achieve a consistent positive effect. Continued research is recommended to identify the optimal use of limited traffic enforcement resources in the service of pedestrian safety.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1995/1485/1485-021.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=LAW+ENFORCEMENT%2C+PEDESTRIAN+SAFETY%2C+AND+DRIVER+COMPLIANCE+WITH+CROSSWALK+LAWS%3A+EVALUATION+OF+A+FOUR-YEAR+CAMPAIGN+IN+SEATTLE+(WITH+DISCUSSION+AND+CLOSURE)&author=J.+Britt&author=A.+Bergman&author=J.+Moffat&publication_year=1995
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03611981
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1485, Human Performance and Safety in Highway, Traffic, and ITS Systems. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Britt, John W
  • Bergman, Abraham B
  • Moffat, John
• Discussers:
  • Todd, Kenneth
• Publication Date: 1995

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 160-167
• Monograph Title: Human performance and safety in highway, traffic, and ITS systems
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1485
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Before and after studies; Behavior; Benefits; Compliance; Crosswalks; Drivers; Future; Laws; Measures of effectiveness; Neighborhoods; Pedestrian safety; Recommendations; Research; Traffic law enforcement
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness; Future research; Right of way
• Geographic Terms: Seattle (Washington)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Operations and Traffic Management; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00713549
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 13 1995 12:00AM