A HIGHWAY SIMULATOR ANALYSIS OF BACKGROUND COLORS FOR ADVANCE WARNING SIGNS

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) mandates orange as the background color for most construction and maintenance warning signs and yellow as the background color for all other warning signs (except when orange is specified). However, because the symbols on the STOP AHEAD and YIELD AHEAD signs are predominantly red, questions have been raised as to whether these advance warning signs installed in construction and maintenance zones should have a yellow background which may provide greater contrast than an orange background. This article discusses an experiment that used the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highway Driving Simulator (HYSIM) to compare the effectiveness of an orange background versus a yellow background on the symbol STOP AHEAD and YIELD AHEAD signs. The measure of sign effectiveness was drivers' recognition distance of the signs posted on the simulated roadway. Early recognition is desirable because drivers have more time to adjust speed or maneuver their vehicle to meet the requirements of a specific road situation. The experiment also provided the first application of the HYSIM and demonstrated its capability.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1586080
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Highway Administration

  Office of Research and Development, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Lum, H S
  • Roberts, K M
  • DiMarco, R J
  • Allen, R W
• Publication Date: 1983-12

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 89-96
• Serial:
  • Public Roads
  • Volume: 47
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Federal Highway Administration
  • ISSN: 0033-3735
  • Serial URL: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Color; Contrast; Design; Driving simulators; Measures of effectiveness; Orange; Traffic signs; Warning signs; Yellow
• Uncontrolled Terms: Background (Traffic signs); Effectiveness
• Old TRIS Terms: Traffic sign design
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00389070
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-036 594
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 28 1984 12:00AM