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Evaluating safety-influencing factors at stop-controlled intersections using automated video analysis.
Joshua Stipancic1, Paul G St-Aubin1, Bismarck Ledezma-Navarro2
1Department of Decision Sciences, HEC Montréal, 3000 Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Québec H3T 2A7, Canada.
Journal of Safety Research
|June 7, 2021
Summary
Stop signs significantly reduce vehicle speeds but do not demonstrably improve pedestrian safety. Further research is needed to confirm their effectiveness in preventing pedestrian-vehicle interactions and crashes.
Area of Science:
- Traffic Engineering
- Transportation Safety
- Urban Planning
Background:
- Stop signs are widely used in North America to control traffic and enhance pedestrian safety.
- Their effectiveness, particularly in urban environments like Montreal, is increasingly debated due to limited empirical evidence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of stop sign implementation on vehicular speeds and pedestrian safety.
- To analyze surrogate measures of safety (SMoS) including speed, time-to-collision (TTC), and post-encroachment time (PET).
Main Methods:
- Utilized high-resolution trajectory data from 100 intersections in Montreal.
- Developed linear mixed-effects regression models accounting for site and approach correlations.
- Introduced an Intersection Exposure Group (IEG) indicator for classifying pedestrian-vehicle interactions.
Main Results:
- Stop signs reduced average approach speeds by 17.2 km/h (partial) and 20.1 km/h (full).
- Presence of cyclists or pedestrians also significantly lowered vehicle speeds.
- The IEG measure effectively differentiated pedestrian-vehicle interaction types.
Conclusions:
- Stop signs effectively reduce vehicle approach speeds compared to uncontrolled intersections.
- No significant relationship was found between stop signs and vehicle-pedestrian interactions, making conclusions on pedestrian safety difficult.
- Policies relying on stop signs for pedestrian safety may be less effective than alternative interventions; geometric design and education are recommended.
