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Stop Arm Efficacy Pilot Study: Impact of Fully Illuminating the
STOP Octagon Co-authored by Brett Kuchciak and Kevin Smith
backdrop, through an internal illumination device and diffusion panel, First Light updated the technology of the stop arm to elevate it to a level consistent with traffic signals and lights. The full illumination of the octagon increases the visibility of the word STOP on the stop arm both day and night and across a variety of atmospheric conditions, thereby, eliminating the variability of the signal an oncoming driver sees due to headlight differ- ences and the position of the oncoming vehicle.
Study Methods W
ith dedication to the pupil transportation industry and the need to address the illegal passing epidemic, First Light took on the task of funding an efficacy pilot
study to gather information on whether fully illuminat- ing the octagon of the stop sign made it more effective at preventing illegal passings than traditional retroreflec- tive stop arms.
All traffic lights and signals are illuminated to ensure they are highly visible day or night. By contrast, tradi- tional stop arms are not illuminated except for the two flashing lights, and are reliant on the headlights from oncoming vehicles to retroreflect off the decal and provide a signal. Studies have found that by adding a red LED to static stop signs on each of the eight points of its octagon, “blow-throughs” can be reduced by over half. This example provides support for the conclusion that illumination is superior over retroreflectivity in prompt- ing a reaction of motorists’ to the warning.
By fully illuminating the stop arm octagon, which includes the white border, the word STOP, and the red
2 School Transportation News • MONTH 2023
Data captured by the 15 school districts in the study was independent of First Light. Each district was responsible for counting the number of stop arm violations by vary- ing one key factor – which type of stop arm was used. First Light’s fully illuminated stop arm or the traditional retroreflective stop arm. All districts used a traditional stop arm for a set period, and then replaced it with First Light’s fully illuminated stop arm for a similar period of time to make the comparison. Nine of the 15 sites also provided comparison buses with traditional stop arms for the entire recording period. This helped identify any natural increase or decrease in stop arm violations experienced in the area, to better understand the data patterns observed with the First Light technology.
Study Results
Comparison Sample: By having comparison buses at select school districts that did not receive a fully illumi- nated stop arm and tested under the same parameters, it was possible to account for any natural increases or decreases in safety experienced in the area throughout the study period. Within the nine school districts that were able to provide this comparison data, seven of the nine comparison buses with traditional stop arms expe- rienced either no change or an actual increase in illegal passings.
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