Methodology for the evaluation of school zones in a driver simulator

Abstract

Traffic crashes involving school-age children are a serious safety concern, as there has been an increase in the number of school-age pedestrians and cyclists being injured and killed throughout the years. This study aims to investigate the effect of different countermeasures on driver behavior while driving in and around school zones. Initially, a detailed screening process to select the school zones was performed based on Road Safety Audit, Highway Safety Manual and Engineering Judgement basis. The selected school zones were then studied in detail to generate their scenarios and define the appropriate variables. New signage and pavement marking configuration will be tested via experimentation leveraging the UPRM driving simulator. It is expected that the proposed changes in signage, pavement marking and the incorporation of new devices of traffic control will significantly improve the safety and operational parameters for the school zones studied.