TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES FOR BLACKOUT DRIVING

ONLY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH BLACKOUT LIGHTS ARE PERMITTED TO OPERATE DURING BLACKOUTS. DURING THESE PERIODS, SPECIAL DEVICES ARE NEEDED TO REGULATE, WARN, AND GUIDE DRIVERS OF THESE VEHICLES. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VARIOUS TRAFFIC SIGNS AND MARKINGS WAS TESTED DURING ACTUAL BLACKOUT CONDITIONS. CONCLUSIONS INDICATE THAT TRAFFIC SIGN DESIGN AND INSTALLATION SHOULD MEET THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATIONS: (1) THEY SHOULD BE REFLECTORIZED WITH EITHER REFLECTIVE MATERIAL OR REFLECTIVE BUTTONS; (2) THEY SHOULD BE MOUNTED LOW; (3) THEY SHOULD BE AS CLOSE TO THE PAVEMENT AS POSSIBLE; (4) WHEN THE SIGN CANNOT BE MOUNTED LOW ENOUGH TO FALL WITHIN THE BLACKOUT BEAM, IT MAY BE EITHER EXTERNALLY OR INTERNALLY ILLUMINATED; (5) SIGNS SHOULD BE ERECTED AS NEARLY PERPENDICULAR WITH THE LINE OF SIGHT OF THE OBSERVER AS POSSIBLE; (6) COLORS OF BLACK SIGNS ARE NOT SO IMPORTANT AS CONTRAST, AND A BLACK AND WHITE COMBINATION IS SUFFICIENT FOR ALL SIGNS. CONCLUSIONS ON PAVEMENT MARKINGS INCLUDE: (1) VISIBLE CENTERLINES ARE ESSENTIAL; (2) REFLECTORIZED WHITE CENTERLINES ARE VERY EFFECTIVE; (3) DASHED LINES ARE NOT SO EFFECTIVE AS CONTININOUS LINES, AND YELLOW NOT SO EFFECTIVE AS WHITE, ALTHOUGH ALL ARE ADEQUATE; (4) EDGE LINES ARE HELPFUL, BUT UNNECESSARY; (5) CURBS AND OBJECTS WITHIN THE DIRECT LINE OF TRAFFIC MUST BE MARKED.

• Record URL:
  https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbproceedings/22/22-017.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 22, pp 350-361, 11 FIG. 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.
• Authors:
  • Fisher, G J
  • Malcolm, W L
  • Gibson, W E
  • Conner, C N
• Publication Date: 1943

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board Held at Hotel Statler, St. Louis, Missouri December 1-4, 1942
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Proceedings
  • Volume: 22
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Center lines; Design; Drivers; Lighting equipment; Lighting systems; Night; Reflective signs; Reflectorized materials; Reflectorized paint; Road markings; Traffic control devices; Traffic signs
• Old TRIS Terms: Blackout; Blackout lights; Reflector buttons; Reflectorization; Traffic marking; Traffic sign design
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00225977
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 29 1971 12:00AM