FOG WARNING SIGN SYSTEM

A SIX-MILE SECTION OF INTERSTATE 5 IN OREGON LOCATED IN THE WILLAMETTE RIVER VALLEY, WAS FOUND TO BE EXTREMELY SUSCEPTIBLE TO RADIATION TYPE FOG FORMING CONDITIONS DURING CERTAIN PERIODS OF THE YEAR. THE CONDITIONS WHICH BRING ABOUT RADIATION FOG ARE DISCUSSED. IN EARLY 1968, AN EXTREMELY VICIOUS CHAIN REACTION ACCIDENT PRECIPITATED A SERIES OF INVESTIGATIONS AND STUDIES INVOLVING OPERATING CONDITIONS ON THIS PORTION OF THE FREEWAY AS WELL AS POSSIBLE CORRECTIVE MEASURES. THE GENERAL ACCIDENT PATTERN IN SIX YEARS PRECEDING 1966, AT WHICH TIME A WARNING SIGN SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED, CONSISTED OF A TOTAL OF 13 ACCIDENTS INVOLVING 129 VEHICLES. SEVEN FATALITIES AND 73 INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. ORANGE, DIAMOND-SHAPE WARNING SIGNS WITH BATTERY-OPERATED FLASHING LIGHTS FIXED TO THE TOP OF THE POST WERE INSTALLED IN 1966. THESE SIGNS WERE MANUALLY OPERATED BY STATE PATROL MEN. SINCE MANUAL SIGN ACTIVATION WAS TOO SLOW, THE USE WAS OBTAINED OF A REMOTE TELEMETER CONTROL FOR SIX SIGNS FROM THE ALBANY OFFICE OF THE STATE POLICE. TWENTY-FOUR HOUR RADIO CONTACT BETWEEN POLICE MOBILE UNITS ON THE FREEWAY AND THE ALBANY OFFICE IS USED AS AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM ON WHICH DECISIONS ARE BASED TO ACTIVATE THE SIGNS IF THERE IS INDICATIONS OF A CRITICAL FOG. A RESEARCH PROGRAM IS BEING DEVELOPED TO MEASURE THE EFFECT OF THESE SIGNS ON THE TRAFFIC STREAM OPERATION.

• Corporate Authors:

  Itte, University of California, Berkeley

  Proceedings, 2nd Annual Symposium
  ,   United States 
• Authors:
  • George, L E
• Publication Date: 1969-12

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Control; Crash analysis; Crash causes; Electromagnetic radiation; Fatalities; Fog; Telemetry; Traffic crashes; Traffic signs; Warning systems
• Identifier Terms: Interstate Highway System
• Old TRIS Terms: Chain reactions; Flashing sign
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00225730
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: pp 23-24
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 1 1970 12:00AM