Citation

Holahan CJ, Campbell MD, Culler RE, Veselka C. Transp. Res. Rec. 1978; 683: 1-3.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1978, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate systematically the relation between roadside signs located nearest to urban traffic intersections and traffic accidents. Specific sign elements studied were total number, type (public versus private), size, and color. The dependent variable was the number of accidents during 1975 at 60 intersection approaches where the driver who entered the intersection from the direction selected was determined to be at fault in the police accident investigation report. The intersections were selected randomly from cross intersections in the city of Austin where at least one accident occurred during 1975.

RESULTS indicate that a number of sign elements had a significant relation to accidents at intersections controlled by stop signs, but no relation was found between signs and accidents at intersections controlled by traffic signals. Possible interpretations of the findings are considered, and some practical suggestions for reducing the effects of distracting signs at stop-sign intersections are advanced.