Investigating drivers' behaviour change by signal countdown devices at intersections in Beijing

Several years ago, signal countdown devices at intersections in Beijing were removed after thereplacement of pre-timed controllers by actuated traffic controllers. Currently, concerning thevarious traffic problems at intersections, Beijing PPCC (People's Political Consultative Conference) recommended the restoration of signal countdown devices in order to change aggressive and unsafe drivers' behavior at Intersections in Beijing on the 2007 NPC (the National People's Congress) and CPPCC (the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference ). This study investigated the effects of Signal Countdown devices on driver's behavior by installing the devices at four intersections located in the southeast of Beijing. The before-and-after study analyzed the change of driving behavior through intersections on yellow and red separately. By collecting data on traffic flows, the study estimated how much influence the devices have on drivers' driving behavior. The data was obtained by Metro Count 5600 and video cameras. The result shows that signal countdown devices do have some measurable effects on driver's behavior.