Changing driver yielding behavior on a city-wide basis

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study evaluated a program to increase driver yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks on a city-wide basis in two cities located within large metropolitan areas. A multifaceted treatment was used to increase yielding in both cities that consisted of highly visible enforcement, public posting of the percentage of drivers yielding to pedestrians each week along with the record on highway signs, and a low-cost engineering treatment. Enforcement and the low-cost engineering component were only introduced at half the sites termed treatment sites while these treatments were not introduced at the remaining sites that were termed generalization sites. Feedback on the number of drivers yielding to pedestrians in each city was presented at signs on busy roadways within the city and a limited amount of educational outreach to the community was implemented on a city-wide basis through parent outreach. Data were collected using staged crossings made by research assistants. Data were also collected on natural crossing made by members of the community. Data for staged crossings at the sites that received enforcement and the engineering treatment increased from a baseline level of 28% to 67% in the first city and from 29% to 74% in the second city. A more modest change occurred at the generalization sites. Data for natural crossings increased from 24% to 80% in the first city and from 48% to 78% in the second city at treatment sites. Similar changes occur for natural crossings at the generalization sites.