Transactions on Transport Sciences 2025, 16(1):14-20 | DOI: 10.5507/tots.2024.016

The Effect of Countdown Timer with Running Text at Signalized Intersection: An Empirical Study

Rizka Dimas Fitrian, Agus Darmawan
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281 Indonesia

This study aims to analyze driving behaviour at signalized intersections due to the countdown timer. In the scenario, we also test the countdown timer with running text that lacks attention in the literature. We collect data on lost time, early start, number of vehicles passing per cycle, number of violations and vehicle's speed. In determining the signalized intersection for scenario implementation, we consider the volume of vehicles, the number of phases, and the geometric of the intersection in the city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The results show that the use of a countdown timer in traffic lights, whether with running text or not, is able to increase the efficiency of vehicle movement. The lost time decreases, and the number of vehicles that pass each cycle increases. However, the number of early starts at the signalized intersection increases. Meanwhile, the average speed of vehicles at the end of a green light signal does not show a statistical difference between traffic lights without and with a countdown timer, whether with running text or not. The use of running text in the last few seconds of the red-light signal tends to give a smaller early start than an unmodified countdown timer. In addition, the number of vehicles violating the rules when entering a red light tends to decrease for the traffic light with a countdown timer. The number of violations when using an unmodified countdown timer tends to be less than the countdown timer with running text.

Keywords: Traffic light; countdown timer; driving behaviour; running text; early start

Received: June 28, 2024; Revised: August 16, 2024; Accepted: August 27, 2024; Prepublished online: December 2, 2024; Published: April 26, 2025  Show citation

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Dimas Fitrian, R., & Darmawan, A. (2025). The Effect of Countdown Timer with Running Text at Signalized Intersection: An Empirical Study. Transactions on Transport Sciences, 16(1), 14-20. doi: 10.5507/tots.2024.016
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