Driver and Pedestrian Behavior at Uncontrolled Crosswalks in Tahoe Basin Recreation Area of California

Abstract

For more than 30 years, pedestrian safety studies have considered pedestrian–vehicle collision patterns and pedestrian and driver behavior at marked and unmarked crosswalks at uncontrolled crossings. Recent research in this area, conducted by the University of California, Berkeley, Traffic Safety Center on behalf of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), was designed to fill key gaps in the literature by analyzing driver and pedestrian behavior and knowledge of right-of-way laws for marked and unmarked crosswalks. The Caltrans study, as with most previous crosswalk studies, focused on urban and suburban areas (in this case, the San Francisco, California, Bay Area), where driver and pedestrian characteristics do not change significantly from day to day. After this study came the recognition that similar research was needed in rural and recreational locations, where the population frequently changes. As such, this paper summarizes results from field observations of driver and pedestrian behavior at marked and unmarked crosswalks at uncontrolled crossings during the summer in the Tahoe Basin of California. This study, also funded by Caltrans, concludes that the behavior trends identified in the study of urban and suburban areas in the Bay Area are largely similar in a rural and recreational context. This finding is significant for Caltrans, a statewide agency that is seeking to provide a consistent crosswalk installation and treatment policy for its facilities across California. Other regional and state agencies may similarly benefit from the findings of the study.