Welcome to our Challenge!
The purpose of this page is to help you realize that it is not possible to predict whether or not you can hear the traffic well enough to be sure that it's clear to cross whenever it is quiet.
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.
Although the pedestrian needs to listen for traffic from both directions, we will consider the traffic approaching from only one direction at a time (that is the direction which is described and shown in the picture).
For each situation, see if you can predict whether people who have normal hearing and average walking speed were able to hear the cars coming from the direction shown well enough to know that it would be clear to cross whenever it is quiet.
Click on the "YES" if you think that they could hear well enough in this situation to be confident it was clear to cross whenever it was quiet.
Click on the NO" if you think the traffic could not be heard well enough in this situation for people to be sure it was clear to cross, even when it was quiet.
PHOTO #1: (NE corner): Crossing 3 lanes. Listening for traffic from the figure/person's left (from the east). Speed limit: 55 mph
PHOTO #3:
(SE corner): Listening for traffic from the figure/person's right (from the east) -- a vehicle is visible coming around a sharp left bend in the road. Speed limit: 25 mph
PHOTO #5:
(SW corner): Listening for traffic from the figure/person's right (from the east). The street slopes gently down to the bend in the road, then slopes gently back up again. Speed limit: 30 mph