Countdown signals for motorized vehicles,which are intended to ensure safety on the road and regulate motor vehicle speed limits at road intersections,are still considered a relatively novel concept.These signals have...Countdown signals for motorized vehicles,which are intended to ensure safety on the road and regulate motor vehicle speed limits at road intersections,are still considered a relatively novel concept.These signals have been adopted by only a few countries,and the number of cities that use them is limited.This review aims to summarize the effects of countdown signals on traffic safety and efficiency and to determine the consistency and differences of existing research propositions on the matter.Based on the review,considerable research presents evidently different conclusions in the areas of driver red-light running and traffic safety.Particularly,some studies propose that countdown signals reinforce traffic safety,whereas others consider that such signals adversely affect traffic safety.Meanwhile,related literature provides varying conclusions on the aspect of traffic efficiency for vehicle headway.At present,the number of studies conducted regarding the driving behaviors of motorists toward countdown-signalized intersections is insufficient.Accordingly,such inadequate diversity in research causes difficulty in completely assessing the benefits and disadvantages of countdown signals.In this paper,an important future research direction on microcosmic driving psychological and physiological data combined with macro-driving behavior is proposed.展开更多
This paper examines safety impacts of a Pedestrian Countdown Signal (PCS) installed on a busy downtown intersection in San Diego, California. Crossing episodes of over 5000 pedestrians were videotaped and analyzed usi...This paper examines safety impacts of a Pedestrian Countdown Signal (PCS) installed on a busy downtown intersection in San Diego, California. Crossing episodes of over 5000 pedestrians were videotaped and analyzed using multivariate statistical methods. Details of timing of pedestrian crossing as well as information about vehicular traffic and signal timing were carefully coded for each pedestrian. Significant safety benefits of the PCS system were found on the long crossings over a street with high vehicular volumes: most pedestrians were able to effectively increase their walking speed to complete their crossing without committing the exit violation—even if they have already committed the entry violation. However, on the short crossing with light vehicular traffic, PCS was generally ineffective in preventing the entry violations from becoming exit violations. Over there, many pedestrians felt safe enough to walk over a short crossing with no apparent vehicular traffic in sight instead of waiting for a green signal. The length of crossing and volume of interfering vehicular traffic were consistently found the most significant variables affecting the crossing violation rates of different categories of pedestrians. Crossing violation rates were the highest for runners, bicyclists and older males. Crossing violation characteristics were found to be consistent over time.展开更多
基金support provided by the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(ZR2020MG021 and ZR2022MF332)the Humanities and Social Science Planning Fund of Chinese Ministry of Education(18YJAZH067).
文摘Countdown signals for motorized vehicles,which are intended to ensure safety on the road and regulate motor vehicle speed limits at road intersections,are still considered a relatively novel concept.These signals have been adopted by only a few countries,and the number of cities that use them is limited.This review aims to summarize the effects of countdown signals on traffic safety and efficiency and to determine the consistency and differences of existing research propositions on the matter.Based on the review,considerable research presents evidently different conclusions in the areas of driver red-light running and traffic safety.Particularly,some studies propose that countdown signals reinforce traffic safety,whereas others consider that such signals adversely affect traffic safety.Meanwhile,related literature provides varying conclusions on the aspect of traffic efficiency for vehicle headway.At present,the number of studies conducted regarding the driving behaviors of motorists toward countdown-signalized intersections is insufficient.Accordingly,such inadequate diversity in research causes difficulty in completely assessing the benefits and disadvantages of countdown signals.In this paper,an important future research direction on microcosmic driving psychological and physiological data combined with macro-driving behavior is proposed.
文摘This paper examines safety impacts of a Pedestrian Countdown Signal (PCS) installed on a busy downtown intersection in San Diego, California. Crossing episodes of over 5000 pedestrians were videotaped and analyzed using multivariate statistical methods. Details of timing of pedestrian crossing as well as information about vehicular traffic and signal timing were carefully coded for each pedestrian. Significant safety benefits of the PCS system were found on the long crossings over a street with high vehicular volumes: most pedestrians were able to effectively increase their walking speed to complete their crossing without committing the exit violation—even if they have already committed the entry violation. However, on the short crossing with light vehicular traffic, PCS was generally ineffective in preventing the entry violations from becoming exit violations. Over there, many pedestrians felt safe enough to walk over a short crossing with no apparent vehicular traffic in sight instead of waiting for a green signal. The length of crossing and volume of interfering vehicular traffic were consistently found the most significant variables affecting the crossing violation rates of different categories of pedestrians. Crossing violation rates were the highest for runners, bicyclists and older males. Crossing violation characteristics were found to be consistent over time.
