EFFECT OF GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OFCOUNTDOWN TIMER AT SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS

Occurrence of red light running is when vehicles cross an intersection after the traffic light tnrns to red. This behavior is dangerous and can cause harm to other motorists and also pedestrians. Data provided from previous study in Ipoh shows that the effectiveness of a countdown timer varies between intersections. It is also generally noted that people from different states behave differently. They have their own sets of culture and understanding of their surroundings which could affect the behavior when crossing at intersections. Therefore, this study is done to determine whether geographical locations affect the effectiveness of countdown timers and to justify its efficiency in reducing red light running. Eight random locations with and without timers in Penang were chosen to conduct this study. Video camera is used to capture the movements of the vehicles entering the intersection. By using Chi-square statistical analysis, it is found that there is no significant difference between Penang and Ipoh for the intersections with countdown timer but there is a significant difference for intersections without countdown timer. This justifies that a countdown timer works efficiently in reducing red light running. It is also noted that drivers between these two cities behave differently at intersections without countdown timer.