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This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information |
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Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-07-059
Date: October 2007 |
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Updates to Research on Recommended Minimum Levels for Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity to Meet Driver Night Visibility NeedsPDF Version (660 KB)
PDF files can be viewed with the Acrobat® Reader® U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Research, Development, and Technology Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center 6300 Georgetown Pike McLean, VA 22101-2296 FOREWORDIn 1992, the Congress directed the Secretary of Transportation to revise the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices to include a standard for minimum levels of retroreflectivity that must be maintained for pavement markings. While previous research has been undertaken to recommend minimum pavement marking retroreflectivity levels, the need existed to update the earlier research in light of changes in roadway user characteristics, vehicle preferences, headlamp performance, and available research tools. Based on a newer, more powerful analytical tool, the following document provides updated recommended minimum levels for pavement marking retroreflectivity to meet driver night visibility needs. This report will be of interest to State and local agencies with responsibility for pavement marking and people involved in pavement marking maintenance. Michael F. Trentacoste Notice This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the
U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The
U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document. The
U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers' names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of the document. Quality Assurance Statement The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement. TECHNICAL REPORT DOCUMENTATION
Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized SI* (Modern Metric) Conversion Factors Table of Contents
List of FiguresFigure 1. Bar graph. Detection distance versus pavement marking retroreflectivity. Figure 2. Bar graph. Saturated condition visibility distance versus marking type and vehicle type. Figure 3. Bar graph. Average skip line detection distance versus vehicle type. Figure 4. Screen shot. Plot of iso-lux curves on road surface (TARVIP screen shot). Figure 5. Scatter diagram. Detection distance versus driver age—Structured tape. Figure 6. Scatter diagram. Detection distance versus driver age—Thermoplastic. Figure 7. Scatter diagram. Detection distance versus driver age—Standard tape. Figure 8. Bar graph/line graph. Maximum speed limits in U.S. states and associated VMT. List of TablesTable 1. FWHA research recommendations for minimum pavement marking retroreflectivity. Table 2. Zwahlen’s recommended minimum RL values. Table 3. Workshop-proposed speed-based minimum pavement marking retroreflectivity values. Table 4. Workshop-proposed classification-based minimum pavement marking retroreflectivity values. Table 5. ATSSA recommended minimum RL values. Table 6. Headlamp illuminance along edge lines and center lines. Table 7. Summary of key factors affecting pavement marking visibility. Table 8. Other factors affecting pavement marking visibility. Table 9. Minimum retroreflectivity levels in [mcd/m^2/lx]. Table 10. Required RL values for TARVIP scenarios with varying preview time in [mcd/m^2/lx]. Table 11. Recommended minimum RL values in [mcd/m2/lux]. Previous | Table of Contents | Next |
Topics: research, safety, infrastructure, pavments, visibility and retroreflectivity Keywords: research, safety, CARVE, Detection Distance, Illuminance, Night, Pavement marking, Pavement Surface, Retroreflectivity, RRPM, TARVIP, Visibility TRT Terms: retroreflectivty, road markings Updated: 04/12/2012
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