Fog Detection for Interstate and State Highways

Fog is a common and recurrent phenomenon in West Virginia and the cause of nearly 1.3% of all fatal crashes occurring across the state. All three types of fog--upslope, radiation, and advection--are common in the state, resulting in lack of visibility, limited contrast, distorted perception, judgment errors, and reduction in headway and speed of the vehicle traveling in foggy conditions. The state of West Virginia is suffering from lack of suitable fog detection and warning systems along many of its arterials where fog is a major issue. The purpose of this project is to determine favorable fog conditions in terms of different meteorological components and to introduce various forecasting tools utilized by different agencies in fog forecasting processes. In addition, efforts are made to identify the critical fog-prone areas across the state. These places might serve as potential locations for implementation of fog detection and warning systems. Also, a complete description of the available detection and warning systems that are currently active across the country is presented in this report to provide useful insight regarding these systems' capabilities and effectiveness. Finally, through a simple benefit-cost analysis, justification of the efficiency of fog detection and warning systems is demonstrated.

• Record URL:
  http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/WVU-2010-01.pdf
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  West Virginia University, Morgantown

  Morgantown, WV  United States  26506

  West Virginia Department of Transportation

  Charleston, WV  United States  25305

  Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center

  Pennsylvania State University
  201 Transportation Research Building
  University Park, PA  United States  16802-4710

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Shahabi, Mehrdad
  • Hlaing, Aung
  • Martinelli, David R
  • Unnikrishnan, Avinash
• Publication Date: 2012-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 71p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Crashes; Fog; Interstate highways; State highways; Traffic safety; Visibility; Warning systems; Weather forecasting
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driving conditions; Fog detection
• Geographic Terms: West Virginia
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01478006
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: WVU-2010-01
• Contract Numbers: DTRT07-G-0003
• Files: UTC, TRIS, RITA, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 15 2013 10:00AM