Effectiveness Of Behavioral Highway Safety Countermeasures PDF Download

The objective of this focus group study was to identify driver attitudes and behaviors related to intersection safety and to assess the likely impacts of new or existing infrastructure-based technologies/countermeasures. Four focus groups were conducted at each of three test sites, Washington DC, Chicago, IL, and Seattle, WA. At each site, the four groups corresponded to the age/gender characteristics identified as important to this project. The four groups were: 18-35 year old female drivers only; 18-35 year old male drivers only; 35-55 year old drivers of both genders; 65+ year old drivers of both genders. At each site, the focus groups took place over two separate evenings, with two focus groups conducted per evening. A total of 119 individuals participated in the focus groups. The effort focused on identifying driver attitudes and behaviors with respect to four intersection scenarios: (1) red light running, (2) left turns at busy intersections, (3) turning left onto a major road with moderate traffic, and (4) rear end crashes. For each of these four scenarios, results and conclusions relevant to the following key quesitons are developed and presented: What are drivers most likely to do in this scenario? Why do drivers engage in these behaviors? What engineering countermeasures have the most promise for improving traffic safety?--Technical report documentation page.