United States Department of Transportation
i
The flashing right turn signal with pedestrian indication : human factors studies to understand the potential of a new signal to increase awareness of and attention to crossing pedestrians.
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2015-12-01
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[PDF-2.01 MB]
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Abstract:The flashing pedestrian indicator (FPI) is intended to alert turning drivers to the potential presence of
pedestrians in the roadway, facilitate scanning in the likely direction of pedestrians, and encourage caution and
yielding behavior in response to pedestrians. Task 1.1 assessed younger (21-35 years), middle-aged (50-64
years), and older (65+) drivers’ ability to comprehend the intended message of this new signal. Participants were
presented with static driving scenes, containing the FPI (as well as other signal states), and were asked to report
the meaning of the FPI in open-ended and multiple choice formats. Task 1.2 presented a separate group of
participants with similar scenes and participants were asked to imagine they were a right-turning driver. In this
task, participants were asked to report the correct action (go, stop, yield to pedestrian). Pedestrian presence was
manipulated, as well as whether the intersection featured an FPI. Results of Task 1.1 indicated that drivers quickly
picked up on the meaning of the FPI. However, there was some confusion regarding the meaning of the FPI for
drivers proceeding straight through the intersection rather than turning right (participants often thought that that the
signal meant that drivers proceeding straight through the intersection should expect pedestrians as well). Task 1.2
indicated that, compared to a standard signal that did not feature an FPI, the FPI encouraged significantly more
decisions to yield to pedestrians within a crosswalk both in timed and untimed responses. Participants were more
likely to make a response to yield when the FPI was active even when no visible pedestrian was present.
Furthermore, participants were slower in making their decision when no pedestrian was present. We interpret this
pattern as indicating greater caution and search for pedestrians in the presence of the FPI. In general, few age
differences were observed. Results suggested that the FPI is a promising signal with respect to comprehension,
but additional research is needed to 1) further explore the source of, and potential solutions to, driver confusion
uncovered in these studies, 2) evaluate driving behavior in response to the FPI, and 3) understand pedestrian
response to the FPI. Additional laboratory and simulator studies are required before final recommendations can be
made regarding implementation. Reported results provide insight into the design of these studies and the
questions they should address.
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