Traffic signals are used at intersections of all kinds wherever this is necessary in order to control traffic flow or to ensure traffic safety. The research carried out to date with respect to traffic safety when traffic signals are switched off at night is no longer up to date and is concerned with the systems installed in West Germany. Following reunification, many traffic signals in cities of the former GDR were switched off at night, partly as a result of a lack of flexibility in the technical equipment and partly because of the low volumes of traffic. A recent study carried out by the Institute for Traffic Planning and Road Traffic at the Dresden University of Technology for the German Insurers Accident Research (UDV) demonstrated that switching off traffic signals at night, which is a widespread practice in German cities, cannot be justified on the grounds of safety. (Author/publisher)
Abstract