Improving the conspicuity of trailblazing signs for incident management.

Barker, J. A.; Neale, V. L.; Dingus, T. A. · 1998 · ROSA P / Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC)

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Summary

This study addresses the safety and navigational challenges associated with emergency incident management, specifically the difficulty drivers face when distinguishing emergency detour signs from standard construction zone signage. Both currently utilize a black-on-orange color scheme, which can cause confusion, increased driver workload, and erratic maneuvers when the two types of detours overlap. The research aimed to identify a distinct, highly conspicuous sign design for emergency trailblazing that improves driver performance, reduces navigation errors, and accommodates the needs of both younger and older drivers under varying visibility conditions. The research was conducted in two phases. Study 1 was an off-road field experiment evaluating 13 color combinations, letter stroke widths, and letter sizes to determine optimal legibility distances. Based on these results, three color combinations—black on coral, black on light blue, and yellow on purple—were selected for further testing alongside the baseline black-on-orange sign. Study 2 was an on-road experiment involving 70 drivers (ages 18–34 and 54–75) who navigated a 12-mile detour route in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, using an instrumented vehicle. The route overlapped with an existing construction detour. The study employed a 4x2x2 factorial design varying sign color, driver age, and visibility conditions (day vs. night). Data collected included objective measures such as vehicle velocity variance, braking reactions, steering inputs, and navigation errors, as well as subjective driver preferences via post-test questionnaires. The findings indicated that the traditional black-on-orange sign resulted in significantly more turn errors, particularly during daytime and when overlapped with construction signs. Black-on-coral signs were the least preferred by drivers of all ages. In contrast, black-on-light-blue signs resulted in the fewest turn errors in both rural and urban settings and received favorable subjective ratings, particularly from older drivers. However, this sign was noted to fade and resemble a regulatory sign under headlight reflection at night. Yellow-on-purple signs resulted in fewer turn errors than the baseline and were preferred by younger drivers, though they were associated with more late braking maneuvers on roads with tight curves. The study concludes that adopting a unique color scheme for emergency trailblazing improves safety and driver comfort by reducing confusion with construction zones. The authors recommend against using black-on-orange or black-on-coral signs for emergency incidents. They primarily recommend black-on-light-blue signs for their effectiveness in minimizing navigation errors, provided their nighttime appearance as regulatory signs is not a concern. If the light-blue option is deemed inappropriate for nighttime use, yellow-on-purple is recommended as an effective alternative, particularly for younger drivers. These findings suggest that distinct color coding for emergency incidents can enhance operational efficiency and reduce crash risk.

Key finding

Black-on-light-blue signs resulted in the fewest turn errors in overlapping detours, while yellow-on-purple signs led to fewer late braking maneuvers on curves compared to the traditional black-on-orange baseline.

Methodology

mixed_methods

Sample size: 70

Provenance

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Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• sign visibility legibility
• emergency work zone conspicuity
• signage environment
• vehicle conspicuity
• roadway lighting effects
• motorcycle conspicuity