Pavement Markings and Delineation for Older Drives. Volume I: Final Report

Pietrucha, Martin T.; Hostetter, Robert S.; Staplin, Loren; Obermeyer, Michael · 1996 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration

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Summary

This study addresses the declining mobility and safety of older drivers (age 65+) during nighttime driving, motivated by age-related deficits in sensory, perceptual, cognitive, and psychomotor functions. Specifically, older drivers experience reduced visual acuity, lower contrast sensitivity, slower dark adaptation, and increased glare sensitivity. These deficiencies impair their ability to detect and interpret pavement markings and delineation devices, which are critical for previewing roadway features and maintaining lateral position. The research aimed to identify enhanced pavement marking and delineation treatments that could mitigate these deficits, evaluate their effectiveness, and assess their cost-benefit ratios. The methodology involved a multi-stage approach. First, a literature review identified 25 potential delineation and pavement marking treatments, including control conditions. These were initially screened using a laboratory simulator study to determine which treatments improved recognition distance. The most effective treatments from the simulation phase were then subjected to field testing on a closed test track. The field study involved 66 subjects, evenly split between older drivers (over 65) and younger drivers (45 or under). Performance was measured using two dependent variables: recognition distance (how far ahead drivers could identify curve direction or lane boundaries) and visual occlusion time (the duration drivers could maintain lane position when visual cues were temporarily blocked). Subjective ratings of treatment effectiveness were also collected. Finally, a cost-benefit analysis was conducted on the treatments showing significant performance improvements. The results indicated that enhanced treatments significantly improved recognition distances for older drivers, particularly under low-beam conditions. Treatments that increased brightness, contrast, and redundancy—such as structured edgeline tape, raised pavement markers, and flexible delineation posts—outperformed standard painted markings. Older drivers benefited more from these enhancements than younger drivers, as the treatments compensated for their reduced contrast sensitivity and visual field limitations. The field tests confirmed that these treatments reduced the time required for older drivers to recover visual control after occlusion. The cost-benefit analysis demonstrated that several of these enhanced treatments were economically viable, offering positive benefit-to-cost ratios when considering potential accident reduction and increased mobility for the aging population. The significance of this research lies in its practical recommendations for highway designers and traffic engineers. By implementing brighter, higher-contrast, and redundant delineation treatments, agencies can improve nighttime safety and mobility for older drivers without requiring changes to driver behavior or licensing standards. The study provides evidence-based guidelines for selecting specific treatments, such as structured tape and delineation posts, that effectively address the unique visual limitations of the aging driving population. This contributes to the broader field of human factors engineering by aligning roadway infrastructure design with the physiological realities of an increasingly older demographic.

Key finding

Enhanced pavement markings and delineation treatments were identified and validated through simulator and field testing to improve recognition distance and visual occlusion times for older drivers at night.

Methodology

mixed_methods

Sample size: 66

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
• perceptual countermeasures
• sign visibility legibility
• vehicle conspicuity
• roadway lighting effects
• emergency work zone conspicuity