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Title:

Interchange Ramp Color Delineation and Marking Study

Accession Number:

01522103

Record Type:

Component

Abstract:

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/

Supplemental Notes:

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

Monograph Accession #:

01410061

Language:

English

Authors:

Roth, Walter J
DeRose Jr, Frank

Pagination:

pp 113-125

Publication Date:

1966

Serial:

Highway Research Record

Issue Number: 105
Publisher: Highway Research Board

Media Type:

Print

Features:

Figures (6) ; References (1) ; Tables (5)

Subject Areas:

Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor

Files:

TRIS, TRB

Created Date:

Apr 9 2014 10:22AM

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