Do Amber Flashers Make Pedestrians Safer

This paper reports the methods used to assess the effectiveness of a flashing amber arrow system and the associated outcomes for pedestrian safety. The conclusion is there is no compelling reason for not allowing the flashing amber arrow treatment to proceed at least until a more statistically relevant outcome is available. Signaling arrangements are often of concern to pedestrians, who can feel threatened by turning vehicles and frequently complain the signal phasing gives them inadequate protection. A number of sites in Sydney, Wollongong and Queanbeyan provided turning drivers with additional information in the form of a flashing amber turning arrow to complement the flashing red display provided to the pedestrian. On-site evaluation studies and early crash analysis were unable to determine the effects on pedestrians of the flashing amber turning arrow. A simulation evaluation by MUARC investigated the effects of the treatment on driver traveling speed, headways, yielding behavior, comprehension and other behavioral measures. More recent studies show a possibility that positive crash reduction benefits may be realized although the results remain statistically not significant.