Driver Preference for Crosswalk Marking Patterns

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate driver preference for three crosswalk marking patterns (transverse lines, continental markings, and bar pairs). Ratings were collected from participants driving an open-road course that included existing markings and markings specifically installed for the study. The participants gave a subjective rating of appearance based on how easy it was to see each crosswalk. These ratings were recorded on a scale of A through F (with no E), with A being excellent or very easy to see and F being completely unacceptable or very hard to see. The 78 participants were about evenly divided between male and female groups and between younger (age < 55 years) and older (age ≥ 55 years) groups. Data were collected during two periods: daytime (sunny and clear or partly cloudy) and nighttime (street lighting on). Overall, bar pairs and continental markings were preferred over transverse markings. The subjective rating findings discussed in this paper mirror detection distance results obtained from a recent FHWA field visibility study of the three crosswalk marking patterns.