EFFECTIVENESS OF SIGN BACKGROUND REFLECTORIZATION
PRESENT STANDARDS FOR DIRECTIONAL SIGNS ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS CALL FOR WHITE LEGEND ON A GREEN BACKGROUND. WHERE THE SIGN IS NOT SELF-ILLUMINATED THE STANDARDS REQUIRE THAT THE LEGEND BE REFLECTORIZED, HOWEVER, FOR ROADSIDE SIGNS AND ILLUMINATED OVERHEAD SIGNS, REFLECTORIZATION OF THE BACKGROUND IS OPTIONAL. THERE HAS BEEN SOME QUESTION AS TO THE DEGREE OF BACKGROUND BRIGHTNESS THAT IS NECESSARY AND CONSEQUENTLY THE DEGREE OF REFLECTORIZATION. THE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS STUDIES BY THE U. S. BUREAU OF PUBLIC ROADS HAVE INDICATED LITTLE PRACTICAL DIFFERENCE IN LEGIBILITY OF SIGNS WITH DIFFERENT DEGREES OF BACKGROUND REFLECTORIZATION, INCLUDING NO REFLECTORIZATION. IT IS POSSIBLE HOWEVER, THAT THE DEGREE OF BACKGROUND BRIGHTNESS AFFECTS OTHER SIGN- EFFECTIVENESS FACTORS SUCH AS DETECTABILITY OR READING TIME. AS AN INITIAL ATTACK ON THIS QUESTION, SIGNS WITH DIFFERENT DEGREES OF BACKGROUND REFLECTORIZATION WERE COMPARED BY ANALYZING THEIR EFFECT ON THE ABILITY OF DRIVERS TO FOLLOW A TEST ROUTE TO A GIVEN DESTINATION ON CONTROLLED-ACCESS HIGHWAYS IN A SUBURBAN AREA. /AUTHOR/
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Supplemental Notes:
- Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
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Authors:
- Powers, Lawrence D
- Publication Date: 1965
Media Info
- Media Type: Print
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: pp 74-86
- Monograph Title: Night Visibility 1963 and 1964
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Serial:
- Highway Research Record
- Issue Number: 70
- Publisher: Highway Research Board
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Analysis; Brightness; Direction signs; Driver performance; Drivers; Field tests; Illuminated traffic signs; Legibility; Overhead traffic signs; Personnel performance; Reflectorized materials; Roadside; Signs; Studies; Traffic signs
- Old TRIS Terms: Background; Degree; Directional sign; Reflectorization; Study analysis
- Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00219551
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Mar 22 1994 12:00AM