USE OF TURN SIGNALS ON THE EXPRESSWAY

THE USE OF TURN SIGNALS ON A MILWAUKEE EXPRESSWAY SYSTEM WAS STUDIED AND THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE: 47% OF THE DRIVERS SIGNALED WHEN CHANGING LANES, 55% SIGNALED WHEN ENTERING AN OFF-RAMP AND 22% SIGNALED WHEN ENTERING THE STREAM OF TRAFFIC FROM AN ON-RAMP. IN GENERAL, DRIVERS USED TURN SIGNALS MORE OFTEN IN CHANGING LANES IN HEAVY VOLUME TRAFFIC THAN LIGHT TRAFFIC, THOUGH UNDER BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS (RAIN, FOG OR SNOW) THE USE OF TURN SIGNALS INCREASED IN LIGHT VOLUME TRAFFIC. THE EFFECT OF PLACING A SIGN AT AN ON-RAMP STATING USE TURN SIGNAL WHEN MERGING SHOWED A SHARP INCREASE IN SIGNALING AND MANIFESTED A RESIDUAL EFFECT AFTER REMOVAL OF THE SIGN. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE FOR THE INCLUSION OF A PRESCRIPTION FOR THE USE OF SIGNALS IN THE UNIFORM DRIVER'S CODE AND FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. /AUTHOR/