A new study sheds light on what actually convinces drivers to slow down and stop for pedestrians.
Angie Schmitt reports on the findings of an analysis by Nichole Morris, director of the HumanFIRST Laboratory at the University of Minnesota, of drivers yielding at crosswalks around St. Paul.
Morris and her team initially found yielding rates were dreadful: Only 32 percent of drivers stopped. But they were able to improve that number more than double that using “human factors psychology,” which is focused on altering group behavior.
Human factors psychology includes other jargon-y sounding terms like "social norming" and "implied surveillance." But Schmitt interviews Morris in person to clarify more of the concepts behind this tool for convincing drivers to slow and even stop for the safety and right of way of pedestrians.
FULL STORY: To Get Drivers to Yield, St. Paul Uses Psych Trick
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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