A study published in the May/June 2014 issue of The Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness examined the pedestrian cues that triggered drivers to yield to the pedestrian in a right turn on green situation.

The study used several different situations, including pedestrians with canes, pedestrians waving their hands and pedestrians taking a reversible step into the street.  A control group used no pedestrian.

Their results indicated that pedestrians taking a small step into the crosswalk triggered a 205% higher rate of driver yield than even the presence of a white cane.

There were nearly 5,000 pedestrian fatalities in the US in 2012, and the number has been increasing annually since 2010.

Reference:

Bourquin, E. A., Emerson, R. W., Sauerburger, D., & Barlow, J. M. (2014). Conditions that Influence Drivers’ Yielding Behavior in Turning Vehicles at Intersections with Traffic Signal Controls. Journal Of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 108(3), 173-186.