HMB Reflectors: A New Horizontal Retro‐reflecting System to Improve Safety at Pedestrian Crossings

Abstract

Each year more than 1000 pedestrians are injured in accidents on pedestrian crossings in Switzerland. The accidents often occur in darkness, twilight or poor visibility during rain at locations without sufficient public street lighting because vehicle drivers notice the pedestrian crossing too late or overlook it altogether. Pedestrian crossings can be made significantly easier for vehicle drivers to recognize at night and in poor visibility by means of HMB reflectors. When crossing sites are made more conspicuous with high horizontal retro-reflecting markers, the readiness to stop increases. The reflectors can thus contribute to improving road safety at pedestrian crossings. This new low-cost measure has a wide range of applications. The new reflector system is currently gaining ground in Switzerland and several other European countries.