THE PAPER DESCRIBES THE BACKGROUND AND EVALUATES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A FLASHING GREEN PHASE JUST BEFORE THE AMBER LEADING TO RED PHASE IN THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL CYCLE. THIS TYPE OF SIGNAL SEQUENCE, PRACTICED IN ISRAEL AND A FEW OTHER COUNTRIES, WAS THOUGHT TO PROVIDE DRIVERS WITH USEFUL INFORMATION WHICH SHOULD LEAD TO BETTER STOP OR GO DECISIONS. HOWEVER, ACCIDENT ANALYSIS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN AN INCREASE IN COLLISIONS FOLLOWING THE INTRODUCTION OF A FLASHING GREEN. A LABORATORY SIMULATION STUDY DESIGNED TO EXPLAIN THE ACCIDENT FINDINGS WAS CONDUCTED. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FLASHING GREEN ELICITED FROM THE DRIVERS AN EARLIER DECISION RESPONSE AND A HIGHER NUMBER OF INAPPROPRIATE STOPPING DECISIONS, PARTICULARLY CLOSE TO THE INTERSECTION. THE PATTERN OF STOPPING AND CROSSING DECISIONS IN THE FLASHING GREEN PROGRAM SUGGESTS MORE FRICTION BETWEEN STOPPING AND NONSTOPPING VEHICLES AND, THEREFORE, A HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF FRONT-REAR COLLISIONS COMPARED TO A REGULAR PROGRAM.(Author/publisher).
Abstract