Assessment of Durability of Wet Night Visible Pavement Markings

Author(s):  
Ronald B. Gibbons ◽  
Brian Williams ◽  
Benjamin Cottrell

This paper describes the visibility experiment conducted as part of a research effort to establish the durability of pavement markings in an on-road installation. Six marking technologies were installed on a portion of Route 460 in Blacksburg, Virginia. A human factors experiment in natural rain conditions was performed to establish the visibility needs of the driver. The retroreflectivity of the markings was measured at intervals of 2 to 5 months, with six measurements over the course of 23 months (these data are discussed in a separate paper). Previous research suggested that a minimum retroreflectivity of 150 mcd/m2/lx should be maintained to meet drivers' visibility needs. As part of this research, a human factors experiment was conducted to test the validity of this recommendation. The distance at which participants could detect the end of a pavement marking was measured as well as the retroreflectivity of the marking at those points. The relationship of detection distance and retroreflectivity found in this study suggests that as retroreflectivity increases beyond 150 mcd/m2/lx, there are diminishing returns on detection distance. This finding suggests that the recommended minimum is appropriate for providing increased visibility for drivers, while keeping retroreflectivity requirements at a reasonable level for marking manufacturers.

Author(s):  
Timothy P. Barrette ◽  
Adam M. Pike

Pavement marking retroreflectivity standards are typically developed with dry conditions in mind, however, driving at night during rainfall is seemingly one of the most challenging and stressful situations for a driver. Furthermore, existing research indicates continuous wet retroreflectivity is relatively weakly correlated with dry retroreflectivity and deteriorates differently over time, leading to the obvious conclusion that dry retroreflectivity standards alone are not enough to ensure that pavement markings meet the needs of drivers across the breadth of roadway conditions that may occur. Consequently, developing standards for minimum continuous wet retroreflectivity for new installations and for maintenance purposes represents an important area for research. This study aims to develop new installation and maintenance values for continuous wet retroreflectivity based on a multifaceted, closed-course study of detectability of pavement markings in simulated rain and dry conditions. A series of 20 pavement marking samples was evaluated in relation to detection distance and subjective rating. The results of the study indicated that pavement markings need to be maintained at a continuous wet retroreflectivity value of 50 mcd/m2/lux based on a participant pool that skewed older in age, but that likely represents something close to the 85th-percentile driver. Additional salient findings included observed wet retroreflectivity loss in the existing literature of approximately 7% per month, as well as the maximum preview time in simulated rain conditions being substantially lower than in dry conditions.


Author(s):  
Bijita Devkota ◽  
Fernando Montalvo ◽  
Daniel S. McConnell ◽  
Janan A. Smither

eHealth applications are expected to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare systems by providing improved medical information flow between medical providers and patients. Although the technology is expected to empower patients, lower treatment costs, and provide real-time collection of health data, individuals may be apprehensive about the use and efficacy of eHealth technologies. Medical professionals are often unaware of human factors technology acceptance or usability models which impact the use of medically focused technology, such as eHealth applications. Similarly, human factors professionals are often unaware of treatment adherence models which map the relationship of illness factors and individual differences to treatment protocols. The present paper presents a theoretical approach through which technology acceptance and usability models should be combined with medical treatment adherence models to ensure that eHealth applications are used properly and effectively.


2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 210-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efthymia Metalidou ◽  
Catherine Marinagi ◽  
Panagiotis Trivellas ◽  
Niclas Eberhagen ◽  
Georgios Giannakopoulos ◽  
...  

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the association of lack of awareness and human factors and the association of lack of awareness and significant attacks that threat computer security in higher education. Design/methodology/approach – Five human factors and nine attacks are considered to investigate their relationship. A field research is conducted on Greek employees in higher education to identify the human factors that affect information security. The sample is consisted of 103 employees that use computers at work. Pearson correlation analysis between lack of awareness and nine (9) computer security risks is performed. Findings – Examining the association of lack of awareness with these attacks that threat the security of computers, all nine factors of important attacks exert significant and positive effect, apart from phishing. Considering the relationship of lack of awareness to human factors, all five human factors used are significantly and positively correlated with lack of awareness. Moreover, all nine important attacks, apart from one, exert a significant and positive effect. Research limitations/implications – The paper extends understanding of the relationship of the human factors, the lack of awareness and information security. The study has focused on employees of the Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Athens, namely, teachers, administrators and working post-graduate students. Originality/value – The paper has used weighted factors based on data collection in higher education to calculate a global index for lack of awareness, as the result of the weighted aggregation of nine (9) risks, and extends the analysis performed in the literature to evaluate the effectiveness of security awareness in computer risk management.


Author(s):  
Timothy P. Barrette ◽  
Adam M. Pike

Raised retroreflective pavement markers (RRPMs) are commonly used to provide nighttime delineation of roadways. Although RRPMs are visible during dry conditions, they provide their greatest benefit during wet-night conditions, when typical pavement markings become flooded and lose their retroreflectivite properties. Naturally, the retroreflectivity of RRPMs degrades over time as a result of traffic, ultraviolet light, precipitation, and roadway maintenance activities. Subsequently, it is necessary to examine the relationship between driver performance and the condition of the RRPMs. To assess visibility relative to RRPM condition, study participants rode in the passenger seat of a vehicle operated by a member of the research team, traveling at approximately 15 mph, for two laps around a closed course. Throughout each lap of the course, nine treatments consisting of RRPMs or preformed pavement marking tape of various retroreflectivity levels diverged from a center line to either the right or left. Participants indicated when they could tell which direction the treatment diverged, which was recorded using a GPS unit. A generalized linear model was estimated on a dataset constructed by pairing the observed distances from various treatments with demographic information about each participant. The analysis indicates the distance at which a particular treatment would be visible, which can then be converted to preview time to assess treatment adequacy for a variety of speeds. The RRPM treatments generally provided adequate preview time for older drivers based on the extant literature; however, the preformed pavement marking tape was less adequate at higher speeds and under overhead lighting.


Author(s):  
Karl Zimmerman ◽  
James A. Bonneson

This paper describes a research effort to determine the time into red of 63 red light–related crashes. From these 63 crashes, the relationship of time into red and the red light–related crash type is explored, as are relationships to other factors. From the red light–related crashes investigated, it was found that red light–related crash type was related to time into red. Other factors were not found to be related to time into red, although the sample size and selection method prevented any definitive findings. A brief discussion of the possible safety effectiveness of the all-red interval is also included. The time into red of red light–related crashes is related to the time into red of red light violations, so a characterization of red light violations and crashes is provided, along with suggested red light violation countermeasure classifications for each type of red light violation.


Author(s):  
Clifford Baker ◽  
Kevin McSweeney ◽  
Julie Pray

In cooperation with industry partners, ABS supports a database of maritime accidents and close calls, as well as the associated causes. Analyses of these data are used, in part, to guide the research and development activities of the ABS Safety and Human Factors Department. With regard to occupational safety, a dominant theme in these data is the relationship of the design of structures for means of access to crew member injuries and deaths, with significant numbers of these occurring during the use of ladders, stairs, hatches, platforms, and other access aids. As a result, an ABS Guide has been prepared to evaluate the ergonomic design characteristics of access structures aboard ships and offshore facilities. Compliance with the requirements in the Guide can lead to the granting of up to four separate ABS ergonomic notations (ERGO notations). Paper published with permission.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Mohammad Saberrad ◽  
Seyed Ghasem Zamani

Technological advances in any domain effects other domains as well. International law and especially international boundaries take advantage of technical progresses orconsidering the factors which existed before but they have been neglected and put these factors in the service of its demands. Maybe if we consider each of the technical factors separately, we cannot understand their role properly in boundarydomains, but we study their setting in the form of boundaries demarcation and consider the package generally and investigate the relationship of internal factors. It is clear that technical factors have developed a great evolution in demarcation of territorial boundaries.Eventually, when the technical parameters are employed for demarcation of territorial boundaries, in fact they serve to its purpose; the purpose is nothing than maintaining international peace, order and security, the fact that is the existential philosophy of the United Nations organization. Thus, non-human factors have been served for human factors and maintain its values. Definitely next advances in technical factors will be along with other developments in boundaries domain.


Author(s):  
Helmut T. Zwahlen ◽  
Thomas Schnell

Economic and environmental concerns have raised questions about the continued use of yellow center lines on two-lane highways and yellow left-edge lines on divided highways or freeway entrance and exit ramps. The use of yellow pavement markings as a warning to indicate opposing traffic appears to be a concept that is compatible with certain human factors population stereotypes and accepted industry standards (yellow for caution), but it is unclear how well the general driver population understands the message conveyed by yellow pavement markings. Another question is how the visibility of yellow center lines or left-edge lines compares with the visibility of similar white pavement markings. The effects of color (white and yellow) and material retroreflectivity (low, medium, and high) on the end detection distance of finite-length center lines at night under automobile low-beam illumination were determined. Ten subjects were used in a field experiment (rural, automobile low-beam conditions) to obtain the end detection distances of finite-length center stripes of 0.1-m width. The data show that the end detection distances of new yellow dashed center stripes and new white dashed center stripes are about the same. The average end detection distance was 30 to 35 m for the low-retroreflectivity material and about 62 m for the high-retroreflectivity material (four- to fivefold retroreflectivity increase). It is tentatively concluded that the use of white center stripes most likely will not result in a significant increase in the end detection distance when compared with the use of similar yellow center stripes. It is also tentatively concluded that an increase in the retroreflectivity of the pavement marking materials will result in a significant and desirable increase of the visibility distance, but to provide a minimum preview time of 3.6 sec (at a vehicle speed of 90 km/hr), even higher-retroreflectivity materials than the ones used in this study will be required.


Author(s):  
Helmut T. Zwahlen ◽  
Thomas Schnell

The objective of the presented two-part study was to provide nighttime pavement-marking visibility data obtained under automobile low-beam illumination conditions in the field for further calibration of the Ohio University pavement-marking visibility model CARVE (Computer Aided Road Marking Visibility Evaluator). A total of 10 subjects participated in Part 1 of the study. The goal of Part 1 was to determine the end-detection distance of finite-length, new, medium-retroreflectivity, yellow pavement marking tape centerlines without edge lines as a function of the centerline configuration (single dashed, single solid, and double solid) and width. The results of Part 1 confirm that an increase in the average end-detection distance of about 55 percent represents the approximate upper limit of what can be achieved by adding more retro-reflective area to a yellow centerline. Part 2 consisted of four main experiments involving 10 subjects each and two follow-up experiments involving a total of 10 subjects. The goal of Part 2 was to provide pavement-marking end-detection distance data for fully marked roads consisting of left and right white edge lines with either a yellow double solid or single dashed centerline. The main effects of width, retroreflectvity, and centerline configuration were found to be statistically significant. A fully marked road consisting of both edge lines and a centerline generally appears to provide end-detection distances that are on average about twice as long as the end-detection distances that can be achieved with a centerline alone, without edge lines.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (07) ◽  
pp. 1850056 ◽  
Author(s):  
KONSHIK KIM

This paper examined the nonlinear R&D-innovation relationships of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and the differences in the strength and productivity of R&D investment between low-, medium-, and high-tech industry sectors. Using 2740 firm data in South Korea, this study found that R&D investment has an inverted U-shaped relationship with registered patents such that patents increase at a decreasing rate as R&D investment increases. The relationship between R&D investment and innovative sales resulting from R&D investment in manufacturing SMEs also exhibits an inverted U-shaped form. The R&D-innovation relationship of SMEs in high-tech sectors is more strengthened such that the optimal level of R&D investment in high-tech sectors is higher than those for SMEs in low-tech sectors. This study also demonstrated that the R&D-innovation relationship for high-tech sectors is more flattened so that the diminishing returns to R&D investment is weakened with the increase of technological intensity of industry sectors.


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