J. E. Louis Malenfant

Advance yield markings and fluorescent yellow-green RA 4 signs at crosswalks with uncontrolled approaches

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).

A study to measure the incidence of driving under suspension in the Greater Moncton area

Roadside checkpoints were used to determine the percentage of motorists driving while suspended (DWS) during various times of the day. These data showed that the percentage of motorists DWS was 57% of the expected value relative to their representation among all drivers. Data also showed that suspended drivers make up a higher percentage of drivers on the road after midnight. Results also indicated that 90% of suspended drivers stopped in this study produced a driving permit even though they are required to surrender it when suspended. In order to compare data collected at roadside checkpoints with self-report data. a questionnaire was administered to 456 persons taking a re-education course for first offenders and 68 participants taking a re-education course for second offenders. The results indicated that participants under-represented their own incidence of DWS. However, when asked about the driving behavior of other suspended drivers, their estimates were much closer to the data obtained with the roadside survey.

USE OF SIGNS AND SYMBOLS TO INCREASE THE EFFICACY OF PEDESTRIAN-ACTIVATED FLASHING BEACONS AT CROSSWALKS

This experiment evaluated two strategies for increasing the percentage of motorists yielding to pedestrians at crosswalks equipped with pedestrian-activated flashing beacons. One method involved adding an illuminated sign, with the standard pedestrian symbol next to the beacons. The second method involved erecting signs 50 m before the crosswalk that displayed the pedestrian symbol and requested motorists to yield when the beacons were flashing. Both interventions increased yielding behavior and the effect of both together was greater than either alone. However, only the sign requesting motorist to yield when the beacons were flashing was effective in reducing motor vehicle—pedestrian conflicts.

USE OF A COMMUNITY PROGRAM TO INCREASE SEAT BELT USE AMONG SHOPPING CENTER PATRONS IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Abstract A community program was implemented at one mall and two shopping centers in Charlotte, North Carolina, to increase patron seat belt use in the context of an ongoing statewide seat belt law enforcement program, “Click It or Ticket.” The program consisted of feedback signs at mall and shopping center exits displaying patron seat belt use rates, posters providing information about the benefits (number of lives and amount of money saved) of the “Click It or Ticket” program and urging patrons to use their seat belts and check seat belt use rate information posted at mall exits, as well as flyers providing similar information as the posters. Following a baseline period, the program was implemented at Carolina Place Mall, whereas the other two retail centers remained in the baseline condition. The program then was introduced at Matthews Festival Center, followed by Town Center Plaza. Seat belt use among drivers increased significantly from a range of 73–74% to 83–85% at all three sites following introduction of the program. Belt use among right front passengers also increased, but this change was statistically significant at only one of the three sites. Resumption of the statewide “Click It or Ticket” enforcement program was not associated with further increases in seat belt use.

Using Auditory Pedestrian Signals To Reduce Pedestrian and Vehicle Conflicts

Turning vehicles are a potential threat to pedestrians at intersections. As a possible countermeasure, an experimental auditory pedestrian signal was developed to prompt pedestrians to look for turning vehicles at the start of the walk signal. Analysis of observational data collected during the experiment shows that the auditory signal increased pedestrian-observing behavior and almost eliminated pedestrian motor vehicle conflicts at a signalized intersection. The presence of the auditory message appeared to prime pedestrians to respond more rapidly to turning vehicles.

Observations of how drivers fasten their seatbelts in relation to various startup tasks

Observational data were collected to determine the percentage of drivers that followed various seatbelt buckling sequences. Observers scored the buckling sequence and recorded the time between various startup events and fastening the seatbelt of 1600 drivers in two urban areas, Pinellas County, Florida, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The results indicated that most drivers waited to buckle their seatbelt until after they started their vehicle or placed it into gear, with a substantial proportion buckling after placing the vehicle in motion. These results suggest that a salient second seatbelt reminder that was initiated 30s after placing the vehicle in gear would only be experienced by persons who do not buckle their seatbelt and less than 1% of drivers who buckle their seatbelt more than 29 s after placing the vehicle in gear.

The effects of low alcohol beverages on alcohol consumption and impairment.

We examined the effects of providing drinks with half the alcohol level on alcohol consumption and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 4 patrons of a private club. Alcohol consumption was measured by observers and level of impairment was determined from breath samples obtained by digitalized ALERT (Alcohol Level Evaluation Road Tester) breath testing devices. An alternating treatments design was employed to compare the sessions during which people drank mixed drinks with their usual alcohol concentration with sessions during which they drank mixed drinks with half the alcohol concentration that cost half as much as the regular drinks. All 4 participants consumed less alcohol during sessions when they received drinks with the lower alcohol content. BAC was also less on all but two sessions during the low alcohol condition.We examined the effects of providing drinks with half the alcohol level on alcohol consumption and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 4 patrons of a private club. Alcohol consumption was measured by observers and level of impairment was determined from breath samples obtained by digitalized ALERT (Alcohol Level Evaluation Road Tester) breath testing devices. An alternating treatments design was employed to compare the sessions during which people drank mixed drinks with their usual alcohol concentration with sessions during which they drank mixed drinks with half the alcohol concentration that cost half as much as the regular drinks. All 4 participants consumed less alcohol during sessions when they received drinks with the lower alcohol content. BAC was also less on all but two sessions during the low alcohol condition.

Effects of High-Visibility Enforcement on Driver Compliance with Pedestrian Yield Right-of-Way Laws

This study examined the effects of a 1-year high-visibility pedestrian right-of-way enforcement program on yielding to pedestrians at uncontrolled crosswalks, some of which received enforcement and some of which did not. The program included four 2-week enforcement waves supported by education and engineering components that increased the visibility of enforcement. The study produced five results: (a) enforcement led to a slow and steady increase in the percentage of drivers yielding the right-of-way to pedestrians over the year; (b) the program produced a large change in yielding over the course of the year; (c) the program produced higher levels of yielding to natural pedestrian crossing than to staged crossings, and the changes in both were highly correlated; (d) the effects of the program generalized to crosswalks that were not targeted for pedestrian right-of-way enforcement; and (e) the amount of generalization to unenforced sites was inversely proportional to the distance from sites that received enforcement.

High-Visibility Enforcement on Driver Compliance with Pedestrian Right-of-Way Laws: 4-Year Follow-Up

This study is a follow-up to a previous study that implemented high-visibility enforcement with social norming to produce a cultural change in driver yielding behavior. The objective was to determine the extent to which observed increases in driver yielding obtained in the previous study persisted over a follow-up period of nearly 4 years after the program of high-visibility enforcement intervention ended. The study involved limited enforcement and no new publicity. Observers collected data on staged and naturally occurring crossings at the same six sites at which enforcement took place in the previous study and at the same six spillover-effect sites (referred to as generalization sites in this report) where no enforcement had taken place. Observers employed the same observation procedures used in the original study. Results showed that yielding behavior continued on an upward trend with both the enforcement and generalization sites, exhibiting significantly higher rates of driver yielding during the follow-up period than at the end of the intervention period almost 4 years earlier. Yielding rates averaged 76.5% at the enforcement sites and 77.0% at the generalization sites. Thus, above and beyond the significant increase documented by the original study from before to immediately after the intervention, this study showed an additional significant increase in yielding from the end of the intervention to the follow-up period. The results suggest a fundamental change in driver behavior likely resulting from a tipping-point effect.

High-Visibility Enforcement on Driver Compliance with Pedestrian Right-of-Way Laws

This study is a follow-up to a previous study that implemented high-visibility enforcement with social norming to produce a cultural change in driver yielding behavior. The objective was to determine the extent to which observed increases in driver yielding obtained in the previous study persisted over a follow-up period of nearly 4 years after the program of high-visibility enforcement intervention ended. The study involved limited enforcement and no new publicity. Observers collected data on staged and naturally occurring crossings at the same six sites at which enforcement took place in the previous study and at the same six spillover-effect sites (referred to as generalization sites in this report) where no enforcement had taken place. Observers employed the same observation procedures used in the original study. Results showed that yielding behavior continued on an upward trend with both the enforcement and generalization sites, exhibiting significantly higher rates of driver yielding during the follow-up period than at the end of the intervention period almost 4 years earlier. Yielding rates averaged 76.5% at the enforcement sites and 77.0% at the generalization sites. Thus, above and beyond the significant increase documented by the original study from before to immediately after the intervention, this study showed an additional significant increase in yielding from the end of the intervention to the follow-up period. The results suggest a fundamental change in driver behavior likely resulting from a tipping-point effect.