Can temporary signs remind who should yield at uncontrolled intersections?

Background: A generic right of way (ROW) rule at uncontrolled intersections is to yield to the vehicle from the right, if not stated otherwise in the right-hand side driving countries such as the US. However, this rule is greatly neglected in practice, resulting in unsafe situations. This study investigated the effectiveness of using two proposed temporary yield signs: “Yield to Traffic on right” (Sign1_YT) and “Yield to Person on right” (Sign2_YP), to remind the drivers of ROW rule at uncontrolled intersections. Method: A driving simulator experiment was conducted with 20 drivers (aged 18-65 years), 50% males, recording observations for 198 unsignalized intersections (UIs) with speed limit varying between 30mph to 40mph. The yielding response (speed reductions) and glances were compared between intersections with Stop signs, Sign1_YT, Sign2_YP, and uncontrolled intersections. Results: The yielding response was relatively higher at signed UIs, especially when another vehicle from the right approached. ANOVA comparisons confirmed that drivers glanced at the two proposed signs significantly longer than the Stop sign. A panel logistic regression model of yielding response at intersections (n=152) showed that the likelihood of appropriate yielding increased 1.72 times with Sign 1_YT and 1.14 times with Sign 2_YP compared to the uncontrolled intersections. Driver gender, experience, and speed limit also significantly affected the yielding behavior. The drivers rated Sign1_YT higher at ease of comprehension and clarity. Conclusions: A post-drive test revealed drivers’ confusion about practicing ROW rules at UIs. Overall, the subjective opinions and driving metrics both supported the installation of temporary yield signs to resolve the confusion about ROW conflicts.