• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.79-89
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyze the current right-turn operation at signalized intersections and suggest appropriate right-turn operation strategy. From field investigation, right-turn signals have not only operated various type and shape, lacking of consistency, but also there was no clear regulations or standards. It could increase drivers' confusion and cause vehicle-to-pedestrian accidents. In order to improve pedestrian safety, there is urgent need to study the regulations and standards regarding to right-turn traffic control. This study suggests appropriate right-turn signal operation strategy. In case of permissive right-turn operation, it should be stated on regulations that red light means right-turn vehicles must stop temporarily at the stop line and then turn right. Necessary conditions for installing right-turn signal for protected operation are that there should have one or more exclusive right-turn lanes and right-turn signal face should contain the lenses with three-color arrow indication. In addition, we assort right-turn operation types as permissive, protected and protected/permissive right-turn and suggest specific signal operation strategy by the types.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.73-84
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• 2001

Korean Highway Capacity Manual applies 7 adjustment factors to estimate saturation flows at signalized intersections. Among the adjustment factors, the right-turn adjustment factor uses equation hard to understand and requires complicated computing process comparing other adjustment factors. Thus. this study was conducted in order to suggest a new technique of estimating the right-turn adjustment factor which is easy to understand and simple to computer by having reasonable degree of accuracy. In this study the right-turn saturation flow ratios which are important in estimating the factor are suggested and the equation to estimate the volume of right-turn on red signal(RTOR) is developed based on observed data. The right-turn saturation flow rates can be estimated according to turning radius and number of lanes of crossing road dividing right-turn lanes into canalized and uncanalized lanes. The RTOR volume is estimated using the proportion of the time during which RTOR is possible to the whole time of red signal according to the through traffic volume per lane of the approach at signalized intersections. The technique of estimating the right-turn adjustment factor suggested in this study, which follows the HCM2000 of U.S. in principal, first judges the right-turn lane to be used exclusively for right-turn or not by employing the RTOR factor and the judging equation developed in this study. Next, if the right-turn lane is not exclusive right-turn lane, the shared right-turn lane is classified into single lane approach or multi lane approach. Thus, a total of three methods of estimating the right-turn adjustment factor to the three cases are suggested in this study.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.441-448
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• 2015

This study aims to suggest a reasonable signal operation method for right-turn traffic management. It was found that the right-turn vehicle supplementary signal is currently operated without clear regulations or criteria. It was also analyzed that right-turn supplementary signals are used without consistency, there is a risk of traffic accidents due to the discordance between supplementary signals and traffic signals of forward vehicles, there is a lack of basis for prohibition of a right turn when right-turn vehicle's supplementary signal is red and the flashing red signal is used in a different sense from the law. In order to see the effect of the installed right-turn vehicle supplementary signals on traffic signal violation, a field investigation was conducted. As the result, there was a high proportion of signal violation on the approach lane with right-turn supplementary signals and this means that right-turn supplementary signals hardly influenced the reduction in proportion of signal violation during a right turn. Additionally, a survey was carried out to see if there were differences in driver's interpretation of traffic signals depending on the installation of right-turn supplementary signals. As the result of the survey, there were no differences in interpretation of traffic signals depending on the installation of right-turn supplementary signals or the types of right-turn supplementary signals. A right turn when the signal was red did not lead to serious traffic accidents, so it is thought that there should be a careful consideration of a total ban on a right turn when the signal is red, in order to prevent driver's confusion due to the change of the signal system. Unless there is a disturbance to cars and pedestrians after a temporary stop when the signal is red, there is a need to specify that vehicles must stop temporarily in the Road Traffic Act to facilitate a right turn. What this study finally suggested is to use tri-colored arrow signals for right-turn car supplementary signals to convey a signal to a driver clearly.