FOREWORD

 

This report was produced as part of a contract entitled "Driving Simulation Studies of Raised Pavement Marker (RPM) Systems" in which novel RPM systems were designed and evaluated using driving simulators. This guideline document is based on an extensive survey of the literature and provides 100 guidelines for the use of RPMs. These guidelines are presented in greater detail than the guidelines for RPM use contained in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD, 1988) and in the Roadway Delineation Handbook, produced by the Federal Highway Administration in 1994. These guidelines are intended to be used by field traffic engineers, though future research ideas are included for the use of transportation researchers.

For additional information about this document, please contact Joe Moyer (FHWA) at joe.moyer@fhwa.dot.gov or Kat Woerheide (SAIC) at kathryn.woerheide@fhwa.dot.gov.

A. George Ostensen, Director

Office of Safety and Traffic

Operations Research and Development

 

NOTICE

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade and manufacturers’ names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the object of the document.

 

Technical Report Documentation Page

1. Report No.

FHWA-RD-97-152

2. Government Accession No.

3. Recipient’s Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle

GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF RAISED PAVEMENT MARKERS

5. Report Date

 

 

6. Performing Organization Code

 

7. Author(s)

Grant, A.R. and Bloomfield, J.R.

8. Performing Organization Report No.

 

 

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

3A6C-0052

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

The University of Iowa

Center for Computer Aided Design

208 Engineering Research Facility

Iowa City, Iowa 52242

11. Contract or Grant No.

DTFH61-94-C-00120

 

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

Final Report

March 1994 - January 1998

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

Office of Safety and Traffic Operations R&D

Federal Highway Administration

6300 Georgetown Pike

McLean, Virginia 22101-2296

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. Supplementary Notes

Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR): Joseph Moyer, HSR-30; Ester Wagner, SAIC

16. Abstract:

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD, 1988) provides a general outline for how Raised Pavement Markers (RPMs) should be used, but more specific information is required in order to produce a set of guidelines that are usable by a field traffic engineer. The Roadway Delineation Practices Handbook, produced by the Federal Highway Administration in 1994, gives more detailed instruction for some areas of RPM use (e.g., spacing and placement) but it is incomplete and is not presented in a clear, unambiguous manner. The following document is based on an extensive survey of the literature. Guidelines are presented for the use of RPMs on U.S. highways, with the core recommendations being extracted from the Roadway Delineation Practices Handbook (1994) and the MUTCD (1988). The guidelines also include a number of additional recommendations based on the work of other researchers. Several future research issues are also suggested.

 

 

 

 

17. Key Words

Human performance, raised pavement markers, human factors.

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions. This document is available to the public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161

19. Security Classif. (of this report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (of this page)

Unclassified

21. No. of Pages

58

22. Price

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized