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NATIONAL
NCHRP REPORT 624
COOPERATIVE
HIGHWAY
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
Selection and Application of
Warning Lights on
Roadway Operations Equipment
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TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2008 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
OFFICERS
CHAIR: Debra L. Miller, Secretary, Kansas DOT, Topeka
VICE CHAIR: Adib K. Kanafani, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board
MEMBERS
J. Barry Barker, Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY
Allen D. Biehler, Secretary, Pennsylvania DOT, Harrisburg
John D. Bowe, President, Americas Region, APL Limited, Oakland, CA
Larry L. Brown, Sr., Executive Director, Mississippi DOT, Jackson
Deborah H. Butler, Executive Vice President, Planning, and CIO, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Norfolk, VA
William A.V. Clark, Professor, Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles
David S. Ekern, Commissioner, Virginia DOT, Richmond
Nicholas J. Garber, Henry L. Kinnier Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Jeffrey W. Hamiel, Executive Director, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis, MN
Edward A. (Ned) Helme, President, Center for Clean Air Policy, Washington, DC
Will Kempton, Director, California DOT, Sacramento
Susan Martinovich, Director, Nevada DOT, Carson City
Michael D. Meyer, Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
Michael R. Morris, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Arlington
Neil J. Pedersen, Administrator, Maryland State Highway Administration, Baltimore
Pete K. Rahn, Director, Missouri DOT, Jefferson City
Sandra Rosenbloom, Professor of Planning, University of Arizona, Tucson
Tracy L. Rosser, Vice President, Corporate Traffic, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR
Rosa Clausell Rountree, Executive Director, Georgia State Road and Tollway Authority, Atlanta
Henry G. (Gerry) Schwartz, Jr., Chairman (retired), Jacobs/Sverdrup Civil, Inc., St. Louis, MO
C. Michael Walton, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin
Linda S. Watson, CEO, LYNXCentral Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Orlando
Steve Williams, Chairman and CEO, Maverick Transportation, Inc., Little Rock, AR
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Thad Allen (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington, DC
Joseph H. Boardman, Federal Railroad Administrator, U.S.DOT
Rebecca M. Brewster, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, GA
Paul R. Brubaker, Research and Innovative Technology Administrator, U.S.DOT
George Bugliarello, Chancellor, Polytechnic University of New York, Brooklyn, and Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Engineering,
Washington, DC
Sean T. Connaughton, Maritime Administrator, U.S.DOT
LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC
Edward R. Hamberger, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC
John H. Hill, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
John C. Horsley, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC
Carl T. Johnson, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
J. Edward Johnson, Director, Applied Science Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, John C. Stennis Space Center, MS
David Kelly, Acting Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S.DOT
Thomas J. Madison, Jr., Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S.DOT
William W. Millar, President, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
James S. Simpson, Federal Transit Administrator, U.S.DOT
Robert A. Sturgell, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S.DOT
Robert L. Van Antwerp (Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
*Membership as of October 2008.
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NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
NCHRP REPORT 624
Selection and Application of
Warning Lights on
Roadway Operations Equipment
Ronald B. Gibbons
Suzanne E. Lee
Brian Williams
VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY
Blacksburg, VA
AND
C. Cameron Miller
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
Gaithersburg, MD
Subject Areas
Maintenance · Safety and Human Performance
Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2008
www.TRB.org
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NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY NCHRP REPORT 624
RESEARCH PROGRAM
Systematic, well-designed research provides the most effective Project 13-02
approach to the solution of many problems facing highway ISSN 0077-5614
administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local ISBN 978-0-309-11757-9
interest and can best be studied by highway departments individually Library of Congress Control Number 2008909952
or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the © 2008 Transportation Research Board
accelerating growth of highway transportation develops increasingly
complex problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These
problems are best studied through a coordinated program of COPYRIGHT PERMISSION
cooperative research.
Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining
In recognition of these needs, the highway administrators of the written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials published or copyrighted material used herein.
initiated in 1962 an objective national highway research program Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this
employing modern scientific techniques. This program is supported on publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the
understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA,
a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of the
FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation endorsement of a particular product,
Association and it receives the full cooperation and support of the method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for
Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of
any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission
Transportation.
from CRP.
The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies was
requested by the Association to administer the research program
because of the Board's recognized objectivity and understanding of
NOTICE
modern research practices. The Board is uniquely suited for this
purpose as it maintains an extensive committee structure from which The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the National Cooperative Highway
Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of
authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; it the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the
possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, Governing Board's judgment that the program concerned is of national importance and
state and local governmental agencies, universities, and industry; its appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the National Research
Council.
relationship to the National Research Council is an insurance of
The members of the technical committee selected to monitor this project and to review this
objectivity; it maintains a full-time research correlation staff of
report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration for the
specialists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed
research directly to those who are in a position to use them. or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and, while they have
been accepted as appropriate by the technical committee, they are not necessarily those of
The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified
the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, the American
by chief administrators of the highway and transportation departments Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or the Federal Highway
and by committees of AASHTO. Each year, specific areas of research Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.
needs to be included in the program are proposed to the National Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical committee according
Research Council and the Board by the American Association of State to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive
Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council.
Highway and Transportation Officials. Research projects to fulfill these
needs are defined by the Board, and qualified research agencies are The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research
Council, the Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State Highway
selected from those that have submitted proposals. Administration and and Transportation Officials, and the individual states participating in the National
surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade
Research Council and the Transportation Research Board. or manufacturers' names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the
object of this report.
The needs for highway research are many, and the National
Cooperative Highway Research Program can make significant
contributions to the solution of highway transportation problems of
mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is
intended to complement rather than to substitute for or duplicate other
highway research programs.
Published reports of the
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
are available from:
Transportation Research Board
Business Office
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
and can be ordered through the Internet at:
http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
Printed in the United States of America
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP REPORT 624
Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Amir N. Hanna, Senior Program Officer
Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications
Natalie Barnes, Editor
NCHRP PROJECT 13-02 PANEL
Field of Maintenance--Area of Equipment
Erle Potter, Virginia DOT, Richmond, VA (Chair)
John B. Arens, Vienna, VA
Ralph D. Ellis, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
John C. Forman, South Dakota DOT, Pierre, SD
Edward J. Hardiman, California DOT, Sacramento, CA
Robert G. Lannert, Jefferson City, MO (formerly with Missouri DOT)
Stephen A. Toth, New Jersey DOT, Trenton, NJ
William J. Troup, US Fire Administration, Emmitsburg, MD
Carl K. Andersen, FHWA Liaison
Frank N. Lisle, TRB Liaison
AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research reported herein was performed under NCHRP Project 13-02 by the Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST). Virginia Tech was the contractor for this study; NIST served as a subcontractor.
Dr. Ronald B. Gibbons, Group Leader, Lighting and Infrastructure Technology, Center for Vehicle
Infrastructure Safety, Virginia Tech, was the principal investigator. Dr. Suzanne E. Lee, also of Virginia
Tech, was the co-principal investigator on this project. The other contributors to this project were
Mr. Brian Williams, Mr. Michael McNulty, Mr. Gregory Fitch, and Dr. C. Cameron Miller. The work was
performed under the general supervision of Dr. Gibbons and Dr. Lee. The work conducted at NIST was
performed under the supervision of Dr. Miller.
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FOREWORD
By Amir N. Hanna
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
This report presents recommended guidelines for the selection and application of warn-
ing lights on roadway operations equipment. The recommended guidelines address the
physical, functional, and performance requirements of the lighting system, recognize that
the lighting system on these vehicles must be designed and laid out with consideration to
the planned or expected vehicle usage, and provide technical information for use in devel-
oping procurement specifications for specific applications. The content of the report will be
of immediate interest to maintenance professionals and others involved in specifying warn-
ing lights on roadway operations equipment.
Roadway operations equipment used for construction, maintenance, utility work, and
other similar activities generally operate within roadway right of way. These vehicles and
mobile equipment operate on all types of roadways, during day and night hours, and under
all weather conditions. To improve motorist and work-crew safety, equipment must be
readily seen and recognized and, therefore, warning lights are provided on the equipment
to alert motorists of potentially hazardous situations. Amber warning lights have tradition-
ally been used although lights of other colors are often added with the intent of helping the
traveling public better see the equipment. Combinations of amber, blue, and white lights
and other forms of warning lights (e.g., lighted bars, lighted "arrow sticks," strobe, LED, and
alternating flashing) are used. There is a concern that this variety of lighting on roadway
operations equipment has evolved without adequate consideration of the effects on the
awareness and responsiveness of motorists. In addition, there are no widely accepted guide-
lines for selecting warning lights on roadway operations equipment that consider the type
of equipment, weather conditions, day- and night-time operation, color of vehicle, and
other relevant factors. Thus, research was needed to develop guidelines to assist transporta-
tion agency personnel in selecting and procuring lights that will substantially enhance
motorist awareness.
Under NCHRP Project 13-02, "Guidelines for Selection and Application of Warning
Lights on Roadway Operations Equipment," Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Uni-
versity of Blacksburg, Virginia worked with the objective of developing guidelines for selec-
tion and application of warning lights to improve the conspicuity and recognizability of
roadway operations equipment used for construction, maintenance, utility work, and other
similar activities. To accomplish this objective, the researchers conducted a review of cur-
rent practices for use of warning lights on maintenance vehicles and an investigation to eval-
uate several aspects of the warning light system. This investigation included photometric
characterization, screening, and performance experiments to evaluate lighting parameters
that influence system performance as defined in terms of glare and vehicle detectability.
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Based on the results of this work, the research recommended guidelines for the selection
and application of warning lights on roadway operations equipment, and proposed photo-
metric limits for these warning lights.
The recommended guidelines together with accompanying proposed photometric and
technical information provide a basis for developing procurement specifications for warn-
ing lights applied to roadway operations vehicles that will provide enhanced conspicuity and
recognizability.
Appendixes A through E contained in the research agency's final report provide detailed
information on relevant literature, the experiments performed, and data analysis. These
appendixes are not published herein but are available on the TRB website at www.trb.org/
news/blurb_detail.asp?id=9632. These appendixes are titled as follows:
Appendix A: Literature Review
Appendix B: Identification of Relevant Factors
Appendix C: Photometric Characterization Experiment
Appendix D: Static Screening Experiment
Appendix E: Performance Experiment
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CONTENTS
1 Summary
5 Chapter 1 Introduction and Research Approach
5 Background
5 Objective
6 Report Organization
6 Literature Review
11 Identification of Relevant Factors
12 Chapter 2 Photometric Characterization Experiment
12 Experimental Method
12 Data Analysis
12 Summary of Results
14 Chapter 3 Static Screening Experiment
14 Experimental Methods
17 Summary of Results
21 Discussion
21 Preparation for Dynamic Performance Testing
22 Chapter 4 Performance Experiment
22 Experimental Methods
26 Summary of Results
30 Discussion
32 Chapter 5 Conclusions and Suggested Research
32 Conclusions
32 Considerations for Future Research
34 References
35 Attachment Proposed Guidelines for the Selection
and Application of Warning Lights
on Roadway Operations Equipment
40 Appendixes
