Visibility of a Color Variable Message Sign in the Fog

Motorists often fail to slow to an appropriate speed when fog is present. To dictate the safe speed for weather conditions in real time, departments of transportation can use variable message signs. This study investigated the impact of different color configurations, brightness levels, and flashing beacons on a variable message sign on a driver’s ability to detect and read the sign during the day and at night, and in clear and foggy conditions. Black-on-white, white-on-black, and amber-on-black color combinations had longer detection and legibility distances than other configurations. Although those results were not always significant, they were consistent across conditions. In most conditions, participants felt that flashing beacons, high brightness, and the red-on-black color configuration made the sign seem more urgent.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AND40 Visibility.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Williams, Brian
  • Gibbons, Ronald
  • Medina, Alejandra
  • Connell, Caroline
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2015-1-11 to 2015-1-15
• Date: 2015

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 14p
• Monograph Title: TRB 94th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Brightness; Color; Flashing beacons; Fog; Highway safety; Variable message signs; Visibility; Weather conditions
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01551718
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 15-1840
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 27 2015 11:24AM