Section 1: Situations of Uncertainty -- Page 12 of 22 Self-Study Guide | OUTLINE | INDEX | Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3 | Section 4 |Section 5 | REVIEW |
Uncertainty Prediction Challenge
Welcome to our Challenge! You don't need to do this challenge if you don't have time, or if you're already convinced that it is NOT possible to predict whether or not you are in a Situation of Uncertainty just by noticing the features of the crossing.
If that's the case, then you can skip this page and move on to the NEXT PAGE.
BUT if you still believe you can recognize Situations of Uncertainty just by noticing if there are hills or bends in the road, or the level of ambient sound, etc.,
OR if you want to see some dramatic examples showing that this is not true, this page is for you!
Okay, if you're still here and want to take the challenge, here's how it works.
These pictures show real situations which have been analyzed by people listening for approaching traffic. In fact, some of them are the sites of extensive research, others are crossings which I analyzed with my clients.
The streets are all two-way streets, and the photos each show a stick figure representing a pedestrian wanting to cross.
For each situation, we are only analyzing one direction at a time, not the whole crossing.
Look at the situation in the photo, and see if you can predict whether or not people who have normal hearing and average walking speed would be able to hear the traffic coming from that direction with enough warning to be a Situation of Confidence.
Click on the "YES" if you think that they could hear those vehicles with enough warning in this situation to be confident it was clear to cross whenever it was quiet.
Click on the NO" if you think that traffic could not be heard with enough warning in this situation for people to be sure it was clear to cross, even when it was quiet.
PHOTO #1:
(NE corner): Listening for traffic from the figure/person's left (from the east) -- have to cross two lanes to get out of their way. Speed limit: 55 mph
PHOTO #1:
YES (CAN hear those vehicles with enough warning)
NO (can NOT hear them with enough warning -- that approach is a Situation of Uncertainty)
PHOTO #2:
(NE corner): Listening for traffic from the figure/person's right (from the west) -- have to cross all 3 lanes to get out of their way. Speed limit: 55 mph
PHOTO #2:
YES (CAN hear those vehicles with enough warning)
NO (can NOT hear them with enough warning -- that approach is a Situation of Uncertainty)
PHOTO #3:
(SE corner): Listening for traffic from the figure/person's right (from the east) -- have to cross both lanes to get out of their way. A vehicle is visible coming around a sharp left bend in the road. Speed limit: 25 mph
PHOTO #3:
YES (CAN hear those vehicles with enough warning)
NO (can NOT hear them with enough warning -- that approach is a Situation of Uncertainty)
PHOTO #4:
(SE corner): Listening for traffic from the figure/person's left (from the west) -- have to cross half the street to get out of their way. Speed limit: 25 mph
PHOTO #4:
YES (CAN hear those vehicles with enough warning)
NO (can NOT hear them with enough warning -- that approach is a Situation of Uncertainty)
PHOTO #5:
(SW corner): Listening for traffic from the figure/person's right (from the east) -- have to cross the whole street to get out of their way. The street slopes gently down to the bend in the road, then slopes gently back up again. Speed limit: 30 mph
PHOTO #5:
YES (CAN hear those vehicles with enough warning)
NO (can NOT hear them with enough warning -- that approach is a Situation of Uncertainty)
PHOTO #6:
(NE corner, first condition): Listening for traffic from the figure/person's right (from the north) -- have to cross the whole street to get out of their way. Speed limit: 35 mph
PHOTO #6:
YES (CAN hear those vehicles with enough warning)
NO (can NOT hear them with enough warning -- that approach is a Situation of Uncertainty)
PHOTO #7:
(NE corner, second condition): Listening for traffic from the figure/person's right (from the north) -- have to cross the whole street to get out of their way. Speed limit: 35 mph
PHOTO #7:
YES (CAN hear those vehicles with enough warning)
NO (can NOT hear them with enough warning -- that approach is a Situation of Uncertainty)