New traffic signals improve safety
A specialized traffic signal new to Utah is making dangerous intersections safer, reports a BYU study in the new issue of the Journal of Transportation Engineering.
Grant G. Schultz, BYU assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, led the study. "These signals have proven to be an effective low-cost safety improvement that succeeds by providing more information to drivers," he said. "The alternative for improving safety at intersections on high-speed roads like Bangerter Highway would be expensive interchanges."
Researchers found the average speed of cars approaching an intersection dropped 5 to 10 miles per hour after the installation of the new signal, which hangs over the road and projects "Prepare to stop" when the next traffic light is about to turn red. Immediately after installation of the new signal, the number of cars running the red light dropped from five perthousand to one per thousand.
The "advance warning signal" gives drivers additional time to stop when traveling on roads with higher speed limits or where they might not otherwise expect to encounter a traffic light. There are five such signals in Utah, and the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is considering adding more.
"The results of the study will be very useful in our ongoing efforts to reduce fatalities on the state roadways," said Larry J. Montoya, UDOT traffic and safety design engineer. "We appreciated the BYU team's well-thought-out methodology and ongoing communication to ensure the data collected was valid and applicable."
The article on its entirety can be read by following the link at the bottom of the page.
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Article Date: Nov 2, 2007
News Source: BYU News
Article Source: http://byunews.byu.edu/archive07-OCT-schultz.aspx
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