Influencing Factors on Conflicts of Turning Vehicles and Pedestrians at Intersections

Xu, Hao; Reider, Chuck; Tian, Zong; Teng, Hualiang (Harry) · 2015 · ROSA P / Nevada. Dept. of Transportation

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Summary

This study investigates the factors influencing conflicts between turning vehicles and pedestrians at intersections, aiming to improve pedestrian safety by understanding driver behavior. Motivated by the high proportion of intersection crashes involving turning traffic and the limitations of traditional crash data in explaining behavioral mechanisms, the research utilizes the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP 2) dataset. Specifically, it combines the Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) data, which provides detailed sensor records and video clips, with the Road Information Database (RID) to analyze how driver, vehicle, roadway, and environmental factors affect a driver’s vision and yielding behavior. The methodology involved a Phase 1 proof-of-concept analysis using data from 600 valid trips across six signalized intersections in Washington and Florida. Researchers extracted 1,417 driver observation records from driver face videos and front-facing traffic videos. They defined five stages of the turning process and categorized driver glances into specific observation types, distinguishing between safety-critical observations (e.g., looking through the windshield) and distracting behaviors (e.g., looking at instrument clusters or cell phones). To quantify the impact of various factors—such as traffic signal status, conflicting traffic volume, time of day, and driver demographics—the authors developed a "factor influence index." This index measures the variability in observation frequency across different factor values, allowing for the prioritization of factors that most significantly alter driver attention. Key findings indicate that conflicting traffic flow significantly impacts driver observation patterns. For right-turning drivers, observation of the right windshield (critical for seeing pedestrians) peaked when conflicting traffic flow was between 1,000 and 2,000 vehicles per hour. At higher volumes, drivers became stressed and focused on traffic gaps; at lower volumes, they looked left to expedite the turn. The factor influence index matrix revealed that traffic signal status is the most influential factor for right-turn drivers’ windshield observations, with green signals yielding higher observation frequencies than red signals. Additionally, the study compared intersections with and without "Right Turning Yield to Pedestrian" signs, demonstrating the method’s utility in evaluating countermeasure effectiveness. The significance of this research lies in its demonstration that SHRP 2 data can effectively link specific environmental and operational factors to detailed driver behaviors, moving beyond aggregate crash statistics. By identifying which factors most strongly influence driver attention, the study provides a quantitative basis for selecting and developing targeted countermeasures. For instance, the findings suggest that restricting right-turns-on-red or implementing advanced pedestrian signals could be effective strategies to enhance driver observation of pedestrians. The report concludes with a proposal for Phase 2 research to expand the dataset and refine these behavioral insights for broader safety applications.

Key finding

Drivers glancing right windshield frequency increases when conflicting traffic flow is between 1000 and 2000 vehicles per hour, and 'Right Turning Yield to Pedestrian' signs significantly increase right-windshield observation frequency compared to intersections without the signs.

Methodology

naturalistic

Sample size: 600

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• driver vru interaction
• pedestrian behavior perception
• incidence prevalence
• rail grade crossings
• intersection design
• looked but failed to see

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes, observational prevalence
• Methodological Resource: dataset resource