Collisions at highway-railroad grade crossings have posed a significant safety problem. To reduce the number of these collisions at highway-railroad grade
crossings where train visibility is a contributing factor, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is investigating measures to enhance the visibility of trains
with the use of retroreflectors on freight cars.
A four-phase research program was conducted to determine the feasibility of reflectorization as a train conspicuity device. A literature review provided past
and current transportation experiences on the use of retroreflectors. A demonstration test was conducted to establish the durability of a newly developed
(microprismatic) material, and to create a retroreflective pattern to test for the next phase of research. A nationwide in-service test was conducted to measure
the microprismatic retroreflectors' performance, accident reduction potential, and costs. A human factors test was conducted to evaluate the detectability and
recognition of several retroreflective designs.
Results from this research indicate that a uniform, recognizable pattern of reflectorized material can facilitate recognition of a freight car. The durability of
the microprismatic material tested indicates that adequate intensity levels can be sustained up to 10 years with maintenance.
Every year in the United States, accidents at highway-railroad grade crossings take place where the motorist hits the side of the train at night. In a...
The goal of this study was to determine the best configuration of retroreflective material on Railroad Crossing (crossbuck) signs and posts for improv...
Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving a Bureau of Transportation
Statistics (BTS)/National Transportation Library (NTL)
Web-based service.
Thank you for visiting.
You are about to access a non-government link outside of
the U.S. Department of Transportation's National
Transportation Library.
Please note: While links to Web sites outside of DOT are
offered for your convenience, when you exit DOT Web sites,
Federal privacy policy and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act (accessibility requirements) no longer apply. In
addition, DOT does not attest to the accuracy, relevance,
timeliness or completeness of information provided by linked
sites. Linking to a Web site does not constitute an
endorsement by DOT of the sponsors of the site or the
products presented on the site. For more information, please
view DOT's Web site linking policy.
To get back to the page you were previously viewing, click
your Cancel button.
United States Department of Transportation
[PDF-1.91 MB]
