Final answer:
Regulatory signs manage traffic and ensure safety by instructing drivers on legal requirements. Installing a traffic signal can reduce speeding and improve pedestrian safety. These measures are crucial for maintaining orderly traffic and preventing accidents.
Step-by-step explanation:
Regulatory signs are essential for controlling traffic and ensuring the safety of both drivers and pedestrians. These signs inform drivers of what they are required to do or not do, according to the law. For instance, speed limit signs indicate the maximum speed at which vehicles are legally allowed to travel. When such signs are disregarded—as often happens at busy intersections—vehicles may speed through without adherence to these limits, which can lead to dangerous conditions.
To combat this issue, installing a traffic signal can be an effective measure. It forces drivers to slow down and stop according to the signal, thereby preventing them from speeding through the intersection. Moreover, a traffic signal provides structured crossing times for pedestrians, which enhances their safety, particularly in areas with high foot traffic, such as near a campus.
Before installing a signal, frequent incidents of people having to dodge traffic, and a rising number of accidents, including fatal ones, underscore the necessity of such regulatory measures. Regulatory signs and traffic signals are therefore components of the broader system of rules that govern how roads are used, and they are critical for ensuring the orderly flow of traffic and safeguarding all road users from harm.