Driver obedience to stop and slow signs

Abstract

THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STANDARD MANUFACTURED STOP AND SLOW SIGNS. FOUR OF THE STOP SIGNS USED WERE OF THE NEW TYPE (RED AND WHITE, REFLECTORIZED), THE REMAINING STOP SIGN AND THE SLOW SIGN WERE OF THE OLD TYPE (YELLOW AND BLACK ENAMEL, NON-REFLECTORIZED). IN ADDITION TO THE SLOW SIGN ITSELF, THE SLOW SIGN STUDY UTILIZED A RADAR METER AND A PNEUMATIC TUBE SPEED METER. THE STUDY SHOWED THAT NO COMBINATION OF STOP SIGN TYPE OR POSITION WAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN ANY OTHER UNDER THE GIVEN CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO WEIGH THE INFORMATION GATHERED AND ASSIGN DEFINITE OBEDIENCE FACTORS TO THE SIGN TYPE-POSITION COMBINATIONS STUDIED. THE STUDY ALSO SHOWED THAT A SLOW SIGN PLACED AT A LOCATION WHICH OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT WARRANT IT, IS DEFINITELY INEFFECTIVE. THIS SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THE AVERAGE DRIVER IS INFLUENCED BY THE APPARENT FACTORS INVOLVED RATHER THAN BY THE SLOW SIGN ITSELF. /AUTHOR/