How can crosswalks be made safer?
New technology can flash a red or yellow light for drivers as pedestrians cross the road, but a new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Study indicates pedestrians often don’t push the buttons. Instead, they just cross when they see traffic clear.
Researcher Raul Avelar says urban planners need to take pedestrian behavior into account when they design intersections.
“It’s a combination of placing the devices and designing the roads in a way that they are expected to be safer for pedestrians,” Avelar said.
Avalar says it’s also important for drivers to become more familiar with these newer types of pedestrian crossings.
