Analysis of Brake Perception-Reaction Times on High-Speed Signalized Intersection Approaches

The paper conducted a field test on 60 test participants to characterize driver brake perception-reaction times at the onset of an amber phase actuation at a high-speed signalized intersection approach. The study demonstrates that the 1.0 s, 85th percentile perception-reaction time that is recommended in traffic signal design procedures is valid and consistent with field observations. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that brake perception-reaction times are impacted by the vehicle´s time-to-intersection at the onset of a phase transition. Consequently, the study recommends that time-to-intersection in the range of 2.2 to 4.4 s be considered in the characterization of brake perception-reaction time behavior. Finally, the study demonstrates that either a lognormal or beta distribution is sufficient for modeling brake perception-reaction time