An Evaluation of the Utilization of Psychological Knowledge Concerning Potential Roadside Distractors

This report presents the findings of a project designed: (1) to evaluate the effect of nighttime distractors on accidents at signalized intersections, and (2) to facilitate the implementation at the local level of traffic safety standards. The findings of Part I, based on a study of nighttime accidents occurring at 30 metropolitan intersections, offer tentative data that both the color and the proximity of lights may be important in determining their distractibility with respect to the traffic signal. Part II describes the procedures followed by the project team to disseminate psychological knowledge concerning environmental distractors in the traffic environment to appropriate local agencies and includes an evaluation of the utilization of this information by these agencies.