Advance Yield Markings and Fluorescent Yellow-Green RA 4 Signs at Crosswalks with Uncontrolled Approaches

Abstract

Motorists yielding to pedestrians at the crosswalk line on multilane roads with uncontrolled approaches can screen the view of the pedestrians from vehicles approaching in the next lane the pedestrians must cross. Two strategies were designed to increase the safety of pedestrians at crosswalks with uncontrolled approaches: installation of a sign instructing motorists to yield in advance of the crosswalks, supported by yield markings, and replacement of crosswalk signs at the crosswalk with fluorescent yellow-green sheeting. Motorist and pedestrian behaviors were measured at 24 sites (12 urban and 12 rural) where motor vehicle-pedestrian conflicts had occurred. Measured were evasive action, the distance motorists stopped before the crosswalk when yielding to pedestrians, and the percentage of motorists yielding to pedestrians. Results showed that the advance yield sign and advance yield markings reduced the percentage of motor vehicle-pedestrian conflicts involving evasive action and increased the percentage of motorists yielding to pedestrians and yielding further back from the crosswalk line. Results also showed large safety benefits on multilane roads with two-way traffic, multilane roads with one-way traffic, and single-lane roads with oneway traffic. The fluorescent yellow-green crosswalk signs, although more conspicuous, produced no improvement in yielding behavior or motor vehicle-pedestrian conflicts. All results of this experiment, confirmed by statistical analysis, were found to endure during follow-up data collection 6 months after the treatments were introduced. Treatments were applied only to streets posted at 50 km/h (30 mph).