Study Details

Study Title: Safety Effectiveness of Advance Street Name Signs

Authors: Gross, Lefler, Lyon, and Eccles

Publication Date:JAN, 2010

Abstract: There is a need to evaluate low-cost safety strategies that States may implement as part of their Strategic Highway Safety Plan. The Federal Highway Administration organized a Pooled Fund Study of 26 States to evaluate several low-cost safety strategies, including the installation of advance street name signs at signalized intersections. This study investigates whether advance street name signs reduce crashes related to way-finding (i.e., rear-end and sideswipe crashes) at signalized intersections. Geometric, traffic, and crash data were obtained at signalized intersections for 82 sites in Arizona, 65 sites in Massachusetts, and 46 sites in Wisconsin. To account for potential selection bias and regression-to-the-mean, an Empirical Bayes before-after analysis was employed. The analysis found no significant effect on total crashes. However, the analysis indicated a significant reduction in sideswipe crashes, including a 27 percent reduction in Massachusetts and a 10 percent reduction for the three States combined. A disaggregate analysis was also conducted to identify differential effects. Based on conservative cost estimates, a reduction of just 0.01 crashes per intersection year would achieve a 2:1 benefit-cost ratio. Given the very low cost of this strategy and the potential to enhance way-finding, the use of advance street name signs is justified, particularly at three-legged intersections and locations with a relatively large AADT or a large expected number of crashes.

Study Citation: Gross, F., N. Lefler, C. Lyon, and K. Eccles. "Safety Effectiveness of Advance Street Name Signs." TRB 89th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM. Washington, D.C., 2010.

Study Report: Download the Study Report Document


CMFs Associated With This Study

Category: Signs

Countermeasure: Advance street name signs

CMF CRF(%)QualityCrash TypeCrash SeverityRoadway TypeArea Type
0.9841.63 StarsAllAllNot SpecifiedAll
0.9913 StarsAllK,A,B,CNot SpecifiedAll
1.01-13 StarsAllAllNot SpecifiedAll
1.01-13 StarsRear endAllNot SpecifiedAll
0.89710.34 StarsSideswipeAllNot SpecifiedAll