Pedestrian Safety at Crosswalks - Examining Driver Yielding Behavior at Crosswalks with GM1 and OF Systems

摘要

Pedestrian crossing control is one of the most critical elements in providing a safe pedestrian network. This paper evaluates and compares the safety of pedestrians at crosswalks with side-mounted passive signs (GM1 systems) and crosswalks with overhead flashing devices (OF systems) by examining driver yielding behavior in Winnipeg. Past research indicates that driver yielding at uncontrolled marked crosswalks (similar treatments to GM1 systems) tends to be low, as these crosswalks do not have flashing lights or other devices that provide the driver with information about when they need to stop. Previous research on crosswalks with overhead flashing beacons (similar treatments to OF systems) has shown that flashing beacons increase driver awareness, yet exhibit a wide range of driver yielding rates. Furthermore, there is limited research on pedestrian safety at crosswalks in winter, which is a concern for Winnipeg during almost half of the year. This paper presents results of a collision analysis, environmental scan, and field investigations on driver yielding behaviour to evaluate the safety of pedestrians at crosswalks with GM1 or OF systems in Winnipeg. The collision analysis reflects City of Winnipeg police-reported collision data from 2001 to 2010. The data was analyzed to identify temporal trends and collision frequency by traffic control type and severity. The environmental scan includes a review of literature on driver yielding behavior at crosswalks with similar treatments to GM1 and OF systems, as well as a survey of major Canadian jurisdictions regarding the design and implementation of GM1 and OF systems. The field investigation involved collecting data during off-peak hours on driver yielding behaviour at eight crosswalks with GM1 or OF systems on roadways with two lanes per direction and a raised refuge. The data was analyzed to compare driver yielding at GM1 and OF crosswalks and evaluate the effect of weather and site specific characteristics on driver yielding behavior. TAC's Pedestrian Crossing Control Guide (PCC Guide) recommends that OF systems be implemented on roadways with two lanes per direction and a raised refuge for a range of traffic volumes and speed limits; however, GM1 crosswalks are still widely used across Canada under these circumstances. This paper provides evidence of a significant difference in driver yielding behavior and ultimately pedestrian safety at crosswalks with OF systems compared to crosswalks with GM1 systems, supporting the PCC Guide's recommendation that OF systems be implemented on roadways with two lanes per direction and a raised refuge.