Driver Yielding at Traffic Control Signals, Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons, and Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons in Texas

Abstract

This research effort explored the factors associated with higher driver yielding rates at pedestrian crossings with traffic control signal (TCS), pedestrian hybrid beacon (PHB), and rectangular rapid-flashing beacon (RRFB) treatments in Texas. The percentages of drivers yielding to a staged pedestrian were collected at 7 TCS sites, 22 RRFB sites, and 32 PHB sites. Overall, TCSs in Texas had the highest driver yielding rates, with an average of 98%. The average driver yielding rate for RRFBs in Texas was 86%, whereas the average for PHBs was 89%. The RRFB results for Texas were slightly higher than those found in other studies, perhaps because all RRFB sites included in this analysis had “School Crossing” signs and were located near a school. The number of devices within a city may have an impact on driver yielding. Those cities with a greater number of a particular device (i.e., Austin, Texas, for the PHBs and Garland, Texas, for the RRFBs) had higher driver yielding rates than cities where the device was used at only a few crossings. A comparison of the number of days since installation revealed statistically significantly higher driver yielding rates for those devices that had been installed longer. For PHBs, the results support the use of PHBs on roadways with multiple lanes or a wide crossing. For RRFBs, a lower rate of compliance was observed for longer crossing distances and indicated that for a certain crossing distance width, a device other than the RRFB should be considered.