2 Del. Admin. Code § 4B.03 - Advantages and Disadvantages of Traffic Control Signals

Support:

01 When properly used, traffic control signals are valuable devices for the control of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. They assign the right-of-way to the various traffic movements and thereby profoundly influence traffic flow.

02 Traffic control signals that are properly designed, located, operated, and maintained will have one or more of the following advantages:

A. They provide for the orderly movement of traffic.

B. They increase the traffic-handling capacity of the intersection if:

1. Proper physical layouts and control measures are used, and

2. The signal operational parameters are reviewed and updated (if needed) on a regular basis (as engineering judgment determines that significant traffic flow and/or land use changes have occurred) to maximize the ability of the traffic control signal to satisfy current traffic demands.

C. They reduce the frequency and severity of certain types of crashes, especially right-angle collisions.

D. They are coordinated to provide for continuous or nearly continuous movement of traffic at a definite speed along a given route under favorable conditions.

E. They are used to interrupt heavy traffic at intervals to permit other traffic, vehicular or pedestrian, to cross.

03 Traffic control signals are often considered a panacea for all traffic problems at intersections. This belief has led to traffic control signals being installed at many locations where they are not needed, adversely affecting the safety and efficiency of vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic.

04 Traffic control signals, even when justified by traffic and roadway conditions, can be ill-designed, ineffectively placed, improperly operated, or poorly maintained. Improper or unjustified traffic control signals can result in one or more of the following disadvantages:

A. Excessive delay,

B. Excessive disobedience of the signal indications,

C. Increased use of less adequate routes as road users attempt to avoid the traffic control signals, and

D. Significant increases in the frequency of collisions (especially rear-end collisions).

Notes

2 Del. Admin. Code § 4B.03