Evaluation of potential benefits of wider and brighter edge line pavement markings.

Miles, Jeffrey D.; Carlson, Paul J.; Eurek, Ryan; Re, Jon; Park, Eun Sug · 2010 · ROSA P / Texas Transportation Institute

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Summary

This study, conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, evaluates the potential safety benefits of wider and brighter edge line pavement markings on rural two-lane highways. The research was motivated by the increasing adoption of wider markings by state agencies despite a lack of solid empirical evidence regarding their efficacy. The primary objective was to determine how nighttime drivers benefit from wider edge lines, particularly in horizontal curves, and to assess whether marking width or retroreflectivity (brightness) has a greater influence on driver behavior and safety. The researchers employed a four-part methodology: a literature review, a survey of state practices, an analysis of existing safety data, and a controlled human factors nighttime driving study. The safety analysis utilized crash data from Illinois and Michigan, employing cross-sectional and Empirical Bayes before-after techniques. The human factors study involved an instrumented vehicle equipped with eye-tracking technology, driving on a closed course with varying curve geometries. The experiment manipulated pavement marking width (4-inch vs. wider) and brightness to measure surrogate safety metrics, including vehicle speed, lateral lane position, edge line encroachments, and driver eye glance patterns. The findings indicate that states are increasingly adopting wider edge lines, and safety analyses provide evidence supporting their use. The Michigan data showed statistically significant crash reductions for wider markings, including a 7.1% reduction in total crashes and a 17.1% reduction in fatal and injury crashes. However, nighttime crash reductions were not statistically significant. The human factors study revealed that wider markings positively influenced operational metrics; drivers exhibited better lateral placement and fewer edge line encroachments when wider markings were present. Crucially, the study found that pavement marking width had a more significant impact on these operational metrics than marking brightness. While wider markings improved lane keeping and reduced encroachments, they did not significantly alter vehicle speeds or speed consistency. The study concludes that wider pavement markings offer tangible safety benefits, primarily through improved vehicle lateral control and reduced encroachments, rather than through changes in speed. The researchers recommend the use of wider pavement markings on two-lane highways, noting that width is a more critical factor for operational safety than brightness. They suggest further experimentation to verify these benefits and to explore cost-effectiveness trade-offs between width and retroreflectivity. The results support the trend of state agencies moving toward wider markings as a low-cost countermeasure to enhance roadway delineation and reduce crash frequency.

Key finding

Wider edge line pavement markings significantly improved lateral placement and reduced edge line encroachments during nighttime driving, whereas pavement marking brightness had a lesser impact on these operational metrics.

Methodology

mixed_methods

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• signage environment
• roadway lighting effects
• perceptual countermeasures
• vehicle conspicuity

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes