Eliminating right turn on red

An analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) file of victims fatally injured in crashes in the United States between 1982 and 1992 indicated that pedestrians killed at intersections involving a right turning vehicle manoeuvre where right turn on red is permitted comprised less than 0.1% of all fatalities in the database (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1995).

One of the conditions leading to motor vehicle and pedestrian crashes is the conflict created when vehicles turn right at an intersection, especially when the light is red in their direction and pedestrians have the right of way. The right turn on red (RTOR) rule has been a source of concern for pedestrian safety. Drivers are supposed to stop and yield to crossing pedestrians in this situation, but they often fail to do so. Prohibiting right turns on red can remove the potential for a conflict between drivers and pedestrians, as long as drivers comply with the rule.

Preusser et al. (1981) carried out a simple before/after study to assess the impact of adopting right turn on red (RTOR) on the frequency of pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes. Time series crash data involving pedestrians and motor vehicles were collected from sites in three states (New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin) and two cities (Los Angeles and New Orleans) before and after the implementation of right turn on red. The study results showed a 43% increase in pedestrian-vehicle crashes at sites that adopted RTOR, more than half of which involved a vehicle turning right on a red signal at a signalized location. The majority (67%) of these RTOR crashes involved a driver looking left for an opportunity to enter traffic and striking a pedestrian coming from the drivers’ right.

A review of the available literature on right-turn-on-red by Zador (1984) determined that at approximately 80% of all signalized intersections where motorists are allowed to turn right on red all turning crashes increased by 23%, pedestrian crashes increased by 60% and cyclist crashes increased by 100%.

Zegeer et al. (1986) conducted a study to determine the level of motorist compliance with RTOR, and to develop and field test countermeasures related to RTOR crashes. The authors found that 3.7% of all right-turning drivers violated No Turn On Red signs, but that almost 21% of motorists violated the NTOR signs if given the opportunity. The results of the field tests indicated that illuminated No Turn on Red signs, No Turn on Red signs with a red ball underneath, and offset stop bars at intersections where right-turn-on-red is allowed were all effective in reducing turning violations. Overall driver compliance was improved when the right-turn-on-red restriction was limited to peak pedestrian times rather than at all times.

Huang (2000) used a treatment and control design to evaluate the effects of variable message signs in Orlando, Florida, on motorist and pedestrian behaviour. Data were collected at three signalized intersections that were fitted with variable message signs that displayed a NO TURN ON RED message to motorists in the right-turn lane when they had a red signal and a YIELD TO PEDS message when they had a green signal. Data were also collected at three control sites (i.e., signalized intersections without any NO TURN ON RED or YIELD TO PEDS messages). The results showed that the intersections with the variable message signs had a significantly lower incidence of motorists who illegally turned right on red. Between 2.3% and 4.8% of drivers turned right on red at the treatment sites compared with 11.8% to 30% at the control sites.

Gill (2007) cited research by Retting et al. (2002) involving a before and after study of the impact of right turn on red (RTOR) at 15 signalized intersections in Arlington County, Virginia. The selected intersections were randomly assigned into three groups: control, no RTOR during specific hours (7.00AM - 7.00PM, Monday thru Friday), and no RTOR when pedestrians are present. At the intersections where RTOR was restricted, two signs were posted – one was mounted on a post near the stop sign on the right-hand side of the street, and a second sign was mounted overhead adjacent to the traffic signal indication. The study results indicated that traffic signs prohibiting RTOR during specific hours were very effective at increasing driver compliance with stop lines, reducing the number of pedestrians yielding the right of way to turning vehicles. At intersections with signs giving drivers discretion to turn right on red based on whether pedestrians are present were not found to be very effective (Retting et al., 2002).

Pécheux et al. (2009) carried out a study on the safety and mobility impacts of several pedestrian safety countermeasures that were implemented in Las Vegas, Nevada; Miami-Dade County, Florida; and San Francisco, California. Quantitative data were collected, analysed and evaluated vis-à-vis the safety and mobility impacts of the countermeasures. The effectiveness of No Turn On Red signs at reducing right turning violations was one of the countermeasures that was tested at a high crash intersection in Miami. The effectiveness of three signs - static NTOR, the static conditional NTOR, and the electronic NTOR - were assessed by observing driver violations of the NTOR restriction, right-turn drivers making complete stops, and pedestrian-vehicle conflicts. The use of the electronic NTOR sign resulted in the fewest turning violations (32%), followed by the static conditional (34%), and static NTOR signs (41%). Turning violations decreased ever further, to 25%, when a pedestrian was present at the curb following the installation of the electronic NTOR sign.

Aspnas (2012) conducted a study in Fredericton, New Brunswick that involved the creation of a traffic simulation model that examined several different scenarios to determine if right turn on red (RTOR) could potentially be eliminated at eleven key downtown intersections without any changes to the existing traffic conditions. The analysis of the results from the different scenarios indicated that a restriction against RTOR changed the level of service for two intersections during the morning peak hour and for seven intersections during the afternoon peak hour. The simulation results showed that while it was not feasible from a capacity perspective to eliminate right-turn-on-red at all intersections in downtown Fredericton, RTOR could be eliminated at intersections which demonstrated no significant changes in traffic conditions (low traffic volumes or a low number of right-turning vehicles).

Scope of the Problem

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (1995). The Safety Impact of Right Turn on Red: The Report to Congress (Report No. 86). U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Traffic+Techs/current/The+Safety+Impact+of+Right+Turn+on+Red:+Report+to+Congress

Evidence

• Preusser, D.F., Leaf, W.A., DeBartolo, K.B., & Blomberg, R.D. (1981). The effects of right-turn-on-red on pedestrian and bicyclist accidents, (Report no. DOT HS-806-182). U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/25000/25600/25603/DOT-HS-806-182.pdf
• Zador, P.L. (1984). Right-turn-on-red laws and motor vehicle crashes: a review of the literature. Accident Analysis and Prevention, Volume 16, Issue 4, August 1984, Pages 241-245. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0001457584900198
• Zegeer, C.V., & Cynecki, M.J. (1986). Methods of Increasing Pedestrian Safety at Right-Turn-on-Red Intersections, Final Report. (Report No. FHWA/IP-86/10), Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://katana.hsrc.unc.edu/cms/downloads/RTOR_ResearchReport_1985.pdf
• Huang, H. (2000). The Effects of NO TURN ON RED/YIELD TO PEDS Variable Message Signs on Motorist and Pedestrian Behavior. Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved from http://www.dot.state.fl.us/Safety/4-Reports/Bike-Ped/nrtor%20yieldtoped%20blankout%20signs%20research.pdf
• Gill, M.P. (2007) Analysis of Bicycle-Related and Pedestrian-Related Roadway Crashes. (Report Colorado Department of Transportation, Denver, CO. Retrieved from http://www.trafficsafetycoalition.com/public_ftp/Bike%20Studies/Analysis%20of%20Bicycle-Related%20and%20Pedestrian-Related%20Roadway%20Crashes.pdf
• Retting, R.A., Nitzberg, M.S., Farmer, C.M., & Knoblauch, R.L. (2002). Field Evaluation of Two Methods for Restricting Right Turn on Red to Promote Pedestrian Safety. ITE Journal, Vol. 72, No. 1, pp. 32-36, Washington, D.C., 2002. Retrieved from http://trid.trb.org/view.aspx?id=717518
• Pécheux, K., Bauer, J., & McLeod, P. (2009).Pedestrian Safety Engineering and ITS-Based Countermeasures Program for Reducing Pedestrian Fatalities, Injury Conflicts, and Other Surrogate Measures Final System Impact Report. U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/tools_solve/ped_scdproj/sys_impact_rpt/sys_impact_rpt.pdf
• Aspnas, F. (2012). Eliminating Right-Turn-On-Red (RTOR) At Key Intersections in a City Core. Master’s Thesis, Linkoping University, Sweden. Retrieved from http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:617186/FULLTEXT01.pdf