CASE STUDY NATIONAL

San Jose, California desired to determine what kind of crosswalk recognition works best in their community. The City tested two different crosswalk safety measures, flashing beacons and ground flashers. Both were installed to similar roadways and driver stopping distances and percent of vehicles which yield were recorded. At the end of the study San Jose found that both flashing beacons and crosswalk ground flashers increased the braking distance of vehicles approaching the intersection. In most cases doubling the braking distance. However, the embedded crosswalk flashers were found to have the greatest success in getting drivers to yield to pedestrians crossing. The number of drivers yielding quadrupled within a six-month period. Embedded crosswalk flashers work in some communities, but it can increase roadway maintenance costs. Street sweepers and snow removal equipment would have difficulties avoiding these flashers and could easily damage them. This makes them difficult to implement in cities with a temperate climate.

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