Study to Understand the Influence of Emergency Vehicle Color, Reflectance, Signing/Arrow Boards, and Lighting Configurations in Reducing Responder Involved Crashes

Details

• Creators:
  Agarwal, Nithin ; Srinivasan, Sivaramakrishnan (Siva) ; Sagar, Shraddha ; Aashish, Abiral ; Brown, Charles ; Carrick, Grady
• Corporate Creators:
  University of South Florida
• Contributors:
  Kinney, Shawn
• Corporate Contributors:
  Florida. Department of Transportation
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Emergency Lighting Configurations Emergency Vehicles Emergency Vehicle Safety Field Tests Flashing Traffic Signals Incident Management Literature Reviews Move Over Law Road Ranger Service Patrol (RRSP) Roadside Roadside Incident Management Traffic Patrol Traffic Signals Transportation Safety Vehicle Conspicuity Vehicle Lighting Vehicle Safety Vehicle Visibility Visibility

  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  BED31-977-24
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Report: 08/29/2023-06/30/2025
• Corporate Publisher:
  Florida. Department of Transportation
• Abstract:
  This study aimed to reduce responder-involved crashes by improving the visibility and conspicuity of Road Ranger Service Patrol (RRSP) vehicles. The research combined a comprehensive literature review, a national survey of 44 agencies, and field testing of 16 distinct scenarios across three Florida highways (I-4, SR 429, and Florida Turnpike). Scenarios tested various combinations of emergency lighting colors, flash patterns, mounting heights, arrow/message board messages, and cone placements to evaluate their impact on driver compliance with the Move Over law. Red/white and red lights, higher light placements, directional arrow boards, and cone deployments were found to significantly improve move-over rates, in some cases by over 30%. In parallel, three vehicle marking designs were developed, focusing on maximizing visibility and public recognition through strategic use of color, reflectivity, and FDOT branding. A design featuring a fluorescent yellow-green base and retroreflective chevron markings received the highest preference in stakeholder evaluations. The recommended marking strategy divides vehicle surfaces into three zones: Safety (rear chevrons), Information (service messages and contacts), and Identity (FDOT and program branding). The study also highlighted the importance of uniform vehicle design to improve compliance, public perception, and integration with emerging vehicle technologies. FDOT is encouraged to adopt these recommendations incrementally through vehicle procurement and attrition cycles to enhance safety outcomes for RRSP operators statewide.
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6adb4b66b9ea63e49c680bb76f8d359a30181845697270a4577a7db9ec25c86965596fa2dea96563bab4db25d1686fb4f98624cabf2f06a4a4df21b2db3083a6
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/88909/dot_88909_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.34 MB ]