INTERCHANGE RAMP COLOR DELINEATION AND MARKING STUDY

THE EFFECTS OF SPECIAL COLOR CODING ARE STUDIED AT A SERIES OF CONVENTIONAL INTERCHANGES ON A 40-MILE SECTION OF RURAL FREEWAY. THE 18 INTERCHANGES WITH THE COLOR CODING CONTAINED DIAMOND, LOOP, AND CONNECTOR RAMPS IN THE NORTHBOUND DIRECTION ONLY. THE COLOR SCHEME FOLLOWED THE LEAD OF THE PILOT STUDY ON US-27 IN 1965, AND MINNESOTA'S FIRST APPROACH TO EXIT COLOR CODING. INTERVIEWS WITH DRIVERS WERE TAKEN AT 14 OF THE EXITS TO DEVELOP THE DEGREE OF DRIVER RECOGNITION AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE COLOR- CODED AREAS. WHILE THE INTERVIEWS WERE BEING TAKEN, OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE OF THE DRIVING PATTERNS TO THE EXITS. IN OTHER STUDIES ACCIDENTS WERE REVIEWED FOR 1 YEAR BEFORE TO 1 YEAR AFTER THE COLOR CODING. A SELECTION OF DRIVERS WAS ALSO INTERVIEWED ON THE THROUGH ROUTE TO GAIN THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND RECOGNITION CONCERNING THE EXIT AND ENTRANCE COLOR-CODING SCHEME. ERRATIC DRIVING WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED AFTER THE COLOR CODES WERE APPLIED AND WAS REDUCED MOST AT OTHER THAN DIAMOND RAMPS. THE COLOR CODE WAS AS EFFECTIVE DURING THE DAY AS DURING THE NIGHT. EDGE MARKINGS WERE HARDLY NOTICED UNTIL THEY WERE CHANGED TO BLUE, AND THEN THERE WAS A 5 TO 11 TIMES INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF DRIVERS WHO NOTICED THEM. FOR INFORMATION ON THEIR DESTINATION EXITS, DRIVERS NOTICED RAMP SIGNS MOST, AND THE CHANGE TO BLUE BACKGROUND WAS NOTICED MORE DURING THE DAY THAN DURING THE NIGHT. OF THOSE WHO USED THE FREEWAYS ONLY ONCE A YEAR OR LESS, 66 PERCENT OF THE DAY GROUP INTERVIEWED AND 83 PERCENT OF THE NIGHT GROUP KNEW THE CORRECT MEANINGS OF THE COLOR CODES. ACCIDENTS WERE NOT DIRECTLY RELATABLE TO THE COLOR CODES; HOWEVER, THE INCREASE IN ACCIDENTS IN THE NON-COLOR- CODED DIRECTION WAS THREE TIMES GREATER THAN THAT IN THE COLOR-CODED DIRECTION. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT COLOR CODES OFFER A GOOD POTENTIAL FOR EASING THE DRIVER'S TASK BY PRESENTING A BETTER DELINEATED PATH THAT IS MORE EASILY UNDERSTOOD, RESULTS IN LESS CONFUSION, AND POSSIBLE PRODUCES FEWER ACCIDENTS. /AUTHOR/

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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Committee on Traffic Control Devices and presented at the 49th Annual Meeting.
• Authors:
  • Roth, Walter J
• Publication Date: 1970

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 36-50
• Monograph Title: Traffic signals and signs
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 325
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Before and after studies; Color codes; Freeways; Interchange ramps; Interchanges; Prevention; Ramps; Road markings; Rural highways; Safety; Traffic control; Traffic crashes
• Old TRIS Terms: Freeway ramps; Traffic marking
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00225906
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 10 1971 12:00AM