The Impact of Pedestrian Crossing Flags on Driver Yielding Behavior in Las Vegas, NV

Sheila Clark, Courtney Coughenour, Kelly Bumgarner, Hanns de la Fuente-Mella, Chantel Reynolds and James Abelar
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Sheila Clark: UNLV School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
Courtney Coughenour: UNLV School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
Kelly Bumgarner: UNLV School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
Hanns de la Fuente-Mella: Escuela de Comercio, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340031, Chile
Chantel Reynolds: UNLV School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
James Abelar: UNLV School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 17, 1-8

Abstract: Walking is the most affordable, accessible, and environmentally friendly method of transportation. However, the risk of pedestrian injury or death from motor vehicle crashes is significant, particularly in sprawling metropolitan areas. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of pedestrian crossing flags (PCFs) on driver yielding behaviors. Participants crossed a marked, midblock crosswalk on a multilane road in Las Vegas, Nevada, with and without PCFs, to determine if there were differences in driver yielding behaviors ( n = 160 crossings). Trained observers recorded (1) the number of vehicles that passed in the nearest lane without yielding while the pedestrian waited at the curb and (2) the number of vehicles that passed through the crosswalk while the pedestrian was in the same half of the roadway. ANOVA revealed that drivers were significantly less likely to pass through the crosswalk with the pedestrian in the roadway when they were carrying a PCF (M = 0.20; M = 0.06); drivers were more likely to yield to the pedestrian waiting to enter the roadway when they were carrying a PCF (M = 1.38; M = 0.95). Pedestrian crossing flags are a low-tech, low-cost intervention that may improve pedestrian safety at marked mid-block crosswalks. Future research should examine driver fade-out effects and more advanced pedestrian safety alternatives.

Keywords: crosswalk safety; pedestrian safety; community design; public health; physical activity; pedestrian crash; active transport; active living; sprawl (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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