NTL Record

Title Analysis of the Dismounted Motorist and Road-Worker Model Pedestrian Safety Regulations
Record ID 25642
Personal Name
Creator
Ulmer, Robert G.; Leaf, W. A.; Blomberg, Richard D.
Source 95 p. in various pagings : ill.
Corporate Creator Dunlap and Associates, Inc.
Corporate
Contributor
United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Publisher United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Publication Date 19820800
Language English
Abstract Two pedestrian model regulations previously developed by NHTSA were studied to determine their potential safety benefits. One regulation was concerned with the disabled-vehicle situation and called on motorists to position themselves and their vehicles as safely as possible and to employ conspicuity enhancing devices and materials. This regulation was studied in an experimental field setting in which the operational features of the regulation were examined. The results of the study showed that deploying fuses or warning triangles in conjunction with four-way flashers significantly reduced the speed and shifted the placement of vehicles passing a simulated disabled vehicle during daytime and nighttime conditions. No substantial evidence was found to indicate that wearing fluorescent and retroreflective materials influenced the course or speed of passing motorists. It is recommended that the portions of the model regulation concerned with the positioning of vehicles and deployment of hazard warning devices be made available to locales seeking countermeasures against this accident type. Provisions related to wearing conspicuous materials should be deleted as mandatory requirements. The second model regulation studied, involved persons performing road work and called for workers to wear approved fluorescent and retroreflective materials, for standard traffic control devices to be employed, for permits and inspection of road work sites and for drivers to yield to workers and workers to avoid sudden movements into the path of vehicles. Detailed analyses of accident reports for cases where road workers were struck, indicated that there were a variety of precipitating factors involved and that rather than being an unitary accident type, these crashes were made up of several sub-types. It was concluded that even if the portions of the model regulation related to worker conspicuity and dart-out behavior were fully effective, only a minority of road worker accidents would be affected. /Abstract from report summary page/
Rosap ID dot:1358
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/1358
TRT Terms Pedestrians; Pedestrian safety; Pedestrian-vehicle crashes; Visibility; Countermeasures; Field tests
Classification NTL - PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLES - Pedestrians;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - SAFETY AND SECURITY;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Highway Safety;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Human Factors;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Accidents
Geographical
Coverage
United States
TRIS Online
Accession No
386013
Contract Number DOT-HS-7-01712
Report Number DOT-HS-806-445; ED81-7; NTIS-PB84121250
Availability NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Research
Resource type Research Paper
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/25000/25600/25642/DOT-HS-806-445.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository