Road Safety Differences between Priority-Controlled Intersections and Right-Hand Priority Intersections

De Ceunynck, Tim; Polders, Evelien; Daniëls, Stijn; Hermans, Elke; Brijs, Tom; Wets, Geert · 2013 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.3141/2365-06

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

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Summary

This study investigates the behavioral differences and safety implications between priority-controlled intersections (where secondary road drivers yield to primary road drivers) and right-hand priority intersections (where all drivers yield to those on their right). Motivated by inconclusive literature regarding which intersection type is safer, the research aims to provide a micro-level understanding of vehicle–vehicle interactions. The authors hypothesize that analyzing specific driver behaviors—such as yielding, looking, and approaching—can reveal why crash rates do not always improve when right-hand priority intersections are converted to priority-controlled ones. The methodology involved structured on-site observations at two comparable four-leg intersections in Belgium: one priority-controlled and one right-hand priority. Both locations were selected to minimize geometric influences, featuring similar road widths, residential surroundings, and a 50 km/h speed limit. Data were collected over 30 hours during dry, daytime conditions to allow for the observation of driver demographics and visual scanning. The study recorded 483 interactions, defined as situations where two vehicles arrived with sufficient temporal and spatial proximity to influence each other’s behavior. Variables included yielding compliance, approach speed (stopping, decelerating, or holding speed), looking behavior, driver age and gender, and order of arrival. Logistic regression models were employed to identify factors influencing the probability of right-of-way violations and the likelihood of drivers looking to the sides. The results indicate significantly higher right-of-way violation rates at the right-hand priority intersection (27% of interactions) compared to the priority-controlled intersection (8%). At the right-hand priority site, drivers on the lower-volume road exhibited more cautious behavior, frequently stopping and looking to the sides, while drivers on the higher-volume road often held their speed and failed to look. This suggests that drivers implicitly treat the higher-volume road as a main road, creating an informal priority rule that contradicts the formal right-hand rule. Violations were more likely when the driver from the lower-volume road had formal priority. Additionally, for both intersection types, violations were more probable when the no-priority vehicle arrived first, indicating that yielding is partly governed by a "first come, first served" heuristic. Approach behavior was a significant predictor for both violations and looking behavior; drivers who stopped or decelerated were more likely to look and comply with rules. The study concludes that the higher level of control at priority-controlled intersections does not automatically guarantee improved safety, as evidenced by the lack of significant crash reduction in previous studies. The findings highlight that informal rules based on traffic volume and arrival order heavily influence driver behavior, particularly at right-hand priority intersections. The discrepancy between formal rules and actual driver expectations leads to frequent violations and potential safety risks. The research implies that understanding these behavioral interactions is crucial for intersection design and safety management, suggesting that simply increasing control levels may not address the underlying behavioral mismatches that cause crashes.

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• driver vru interaction