Accessible and activated crossings — Delaware Permit Test

An Accessible Pedestrian Signal gives the pedestrian signal in non-visual ways: audible tones, spoken messages or vibrating surfaces.

A driver who hears a beeping signal at a corner and ignores it may be about to turn across a walker who cannot see them.

An Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) is a device that is used in conjunction with pedestrian signals that communicate pedestrian signal information in non-visual formats such as audible tones, verbal messages, and/or vibrating surfaces.

An Accessible Pedestrian Signal lets pedestrians who are blind or visually impaired know when the WALK interval begins and ends.

A walker who cannot see the WALK sign may start late and still be crossing when turning cars get going.

APS lets pedestrians who are blind or visually impaired know when the WALK interval begins and terminates.

A HAWK signal is activated when a pedestrian presses the crosswalk button; it then stops traffic long enough for pedestrians to cross.

A driver who does not know the HAWK is a crossing signal may roll through while it is stopping traffic for a walker.

The HAWK signal is activated when a pedestrian presses the crosswalk button, much like they do at a regular crosswalk, which will activate the signal.

When a Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacon at a crosswalk is flashing, slow down, look for pedestrians and bicyclists, and yield as necessary.

Someone has just pushed the button to cross, and a driver who keeps their speed reaches the crosswalk as they step off.

As a motorist, when you see these beacons flashing, slow down, look for pedestrians and bicyclists, and yield as necessary.

Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons flash faster than most beacons, in a stutter pattern, and are switched on by a push button.

A driver who does not know the stutter flash may take it for an ordinary warning light and not look for a walker.

They flash more rapidly and in a “stutter” pattern, as opposed to the regular flash rate of most beacons.

How does an Accessible Pedestrian Signal pass on its information?

With tones, spoken words or vibration. A driver who hears a beeping signal at a corner and ignores it may be about to turn across a walker who cannot see them. Delaware Driver Manual, p.73: “An Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) is a device that is used in conjunction with pedestrian signals that communicate pedestrian signal information in non-visual formats such as audible tones, verbal messages, and/or vibrating surfaces.”