EVALUATION OF STEADY BURNING LIGHTS FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL IN HIGHWAY WORK ZONES. FINAL REPORT

This study has examined the effectiveness of Type C steady burn lights on drums marked with high intensity (Type G) reflective sheeting in tangent sections of highway construction work zones. The study was performed on three rural four-lane divided highways including a freeway where highway lightings were not present. Curved sections of highways were excluded from the study, as were transition or tapered sections. The study was based on an examination of one hundred and thirty-two (132) driver subjects who were asked to drive an instrumented car in the work zones during daytime, at nighttime when steady burn lights were present on drums, and at nighttime when lights were absent. The subjects' ages varied between 16 and 75 years. The measures of effectiveness included speed, lateral placement, acceleration noise, weaving, traffic conflict, and driver preference. Right and left lane closures were separately examined. The lights were evaluated under dry, rainy, and foggy weather conditions. The study showed that steady burn lights on drums marked with high intensity reflective sheeting have little effect, if any, on driver behavior in tangent sections of rural divided highways. The study recommended that the use of steady burn lights on drums marked with high intensity reflective sheeting in tangent sections of construction work zones in rural divided highways including interstate freeways be discontinued.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Cincinnati

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Cincinnati, OH  United States  45221-0071

  Ohio Department of Transportation

  25 South Front Street
  Columbus, OH  United States  43215

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Pant, P D
  • Park, Y
• Publication Date: 1989-6

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 91 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Days; Divided highways; Drivers; Drums (Containers); Dryness; Evaluation; Fog; Four lane highways; Lane closure; Lighting equipment; Measures of effectiveness; Moisture content; Night; Reflectorized materials; Rural highways; Work zone traffic control
• Uncontrolled Terms: Dry conditions; Effectiveness; Wet conditions
• Old TRIS Terms: Drums; Lane closing; Steady burn lights
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00493671
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/OH-89/016
• Contract Numbers: State Job 14421(0)
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 30 1990 12:00AM