Investigation of Retroreflective Sign Materials at Passive Railroad Crossings

Details

• Creators:
  Brich, Stephan C.
• Corporate Creators:
  Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC)
• Corporate Contributors:
  Virginia. Dept. of Transportation ; University of Virginia. Center for Transportation Studies
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Analysis Crossbucks Depth Perception Night Visibility Railroad Grade Crossings Retroreflection Retroreflective Materials Safety Traffic Signs
• Publication/ Report Number:
  VTRC 95-R22
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  Virginia
• Corporate Publisher:
  Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC)
• Abstract:
  The goal of this study was to determine the best configuration of retroreflective material on Railroad Crossing (crossbuck) signs and posts for improving the visibility and safety of passive highway-railroad grade crossings at night. The material costs of upgrading existing crossbucks with the retroreflectorized crossbuck systems were also explored. Five configurations for marking crossbucks and posts were developed and installed at five passive grade crossings on the Virginia Southern Railroad line between Fort Mitchell and Green Bay, Virginia. At each crossing, photographs of each approach were taken at night using only the low beams and high beams of a vehicle for illumination. To supplement the photographs, researchers videotaped driving through the crossings at night. Each location was driven through twice, once with low beams and once with high beams. Researchers also videotaped a train traveling through each crossing. The photographs and videotape were used as the media for a subjective analysis of which of the five systems was most visible at night. The subjective analysis consisted of one-on-one interviews with 19 individuals watching the videotapes of the systems and answering a questionnaire survey. Although the sample size was limited by the time constraints of the study, results indicated that the double-sided crossbuck with retroreflective material along the full length of both sides of both posts was preferred. If used throughout the Commonwealth, this system will improve: 1) the visibility of the crossing; 2) the uniformity with which passive crossings are marked; 3) the drivers depth perception of the crossing; and 4) the drivers ability to detect a train in the crossing.
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:e44e9e9abba6a95b6dd531c19d908b1a2e35157eccd2cffe4bcc7e5da635795e
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/13500/dot_13500_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.13 MB ]