Road Safety Differences Between Priority-Controlled Intersections and Right-Hand Priority Intersections: a Behavioral analysis of Vehicle-Vehicle Interactions

Abstract

This study analyzes interactions between two vehicles at right-hand priority intersections and priority-controlled intersections, which will help to gain a better insight in safety differences between both types of intersections. Data about yielding, looking behavior, driver's age and gender, approaching behavior, type of manoeuvre, order of arrival and communication between road users are collected by on-site observations. Logistic regression models are built to identify variables that affect the probability that a violation against the priority rules occurs, and the probability that a driver looks to the sides when entering the intersection. The number of right-of-way violations is significantly higher at the observed right-hand priority intersection (27% of all interactions) than at the priority-controlled intersection (8%). Furthermore, at the right-hand priority intersection the behavior of drivers on the lower volume road is more cautious than the behavior of drivers on the higher volume road, and violations are more likely when the driver from the lower volume road has priority, indicating that the higher volume road is considered as an implicit main road. At both intersection types, there is a higher probability of a right-of-way violation when the no-priority vehicle arrives first, indicating that yielding is partly a matter of "first come, first served". For both intersections, the way a driver approaches the intersection (i.e., stopping, decelerating or holding the same speed) is highly relevant for the occurrence of a right-of way violation and the probability that the driver looks to the sides on his approach to the intersection.