Date of Award

12-2019

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Ron Van Houten

Second Advisor

Dr. Al Poling

Third Advisor

Dr. Richard Malott

Keywords

Safety, traffic, pedestrian, driver, yielding

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

Driver yielding behavior at crosswalks directly affects pedestrian safety. In this study we examined whether the placement of the signs in the gutter pan or on top of the curb, while using a full gateway configuration of the in-street sign, influenced the efficacy of the treatment. Data were collected at sites using both in gutter and on top of curb full gateway configurations. The gutter pan configuration resulted in a higher percentage of driver yielding behavior to pedestrians in the crosswalk. The gateway treatment was shown to be more effective in the gutter pan configuration than the curb top configuration at all three of the sites, though the difference in effects were minimal. This suggests that placing the signs on the curb, though shown to be less effective, is still effective in prompting driver yielding to pedestrians. This finding is important because placement on top of curb would allow for proper sewage drainage, plows not being impeded during the winter months, street sweepers not being impeded, etc. Perhaps most important, signs mounted on top of the curb would be less likely to be struck and damaged by vehicles or plows than signs placed in the gutter pan area. Contextual variables appeared to be related to whether the gutter pan or the curb configuration was more effective. Behavioral principles were used to interpret these data with edge signs mounted on top of the curb vs. in the gutter pan on driver yielding to pedestrians in the crosswalk.

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