CONTROL OF VEHICLE SPEEDS IN TEMPORARY TRAFFIC CONTROL ZONES (WORK ZONES) USING CHANGEABLE MESSAGE SIGNS WITH RADAR
Studies have shown that most drivers do not slow down in response to the standard regulatory or advisory speed signs that are customarily used to regulate speeds at temporary traffic control zones (work zones). This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Changeable Message Sign (CMS) with a radar unit in reducing speeds at work zones. Four CMS messages designed to warn drivers that their speed exceeded the maximum safe speed were tested at seven work zones on two interstate highways in Virginia. Speed and volume data for the whole population traveling through the sites were collected with automatic traffic counters. To assess the effect of the CMS with radar (on high-speed drivers in particular), vehicles that were traveling above a selected threshold speed triggered the radar-activated display and were videotaped as they passed through the work zones. The data obtained from the videotapes were used to obtain speed characteristics of these speeding drivers as they traversed these study sites. Statistical tests were then conducted using these speed characteristics to determine whether significant reduction in speed accompanied the use of CMS. The results indicate that the CMS with radar significantly reduced the speeds of speeding drivers. The messages used were rated according to their level of effectiveness in the following order: (1) YOU ARE SPEEDING SLOW DOWN, (2) HIGH SPEED SLOW DOWN, (3) REDUCE SPEED IN WORK ZONE, and (4) EXCESSIVE SPEED SLOW DOWN.
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309062055
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Supplemental Notes:
- This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1509, Maintenance Management and Safety. 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:
- Garber, Nicholas J
- Patel, Surbhi T
- Publication Date: 1995
Language
- English
Media Info
- Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
- Pagination: p. 73-81
- Monograph Title: Maintenance management and safety
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Serial:
- Transportation Research Record
- Issue Number: 1509
- Publisher: Transportation Research Board
- ISSN: 0361-1981
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Construction sites; Measures of effectiveness; Messages (Communications); Radar; Speed control; Speeding; Traffic speed; Variable message signs; Videotapes; Work zone traffic control
- Identifier Terms: Interstate Highway System
- Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness; Messages; Speed reduction
- Geographic Terms: Virginia
- Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Operations and Traffic Management; I60: Maintenance; I73: Traffic Control;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00715618
- Record Type: Publication
- ISBN: 0309062055
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Jan 19 1996 12:00AM