Evaluating the use of steady burn warning lights on drums for work zone safety

The primary goal of this research was to evaluate the safety impacts associated with the use of steady burn warning lights on drums in roadway work zones in Michigan. The following research objectives were addressed in this study: (1) Determine the state-of-the-art of work zone channelization through a comprehensive literature review. (2) Determine the state-of-the-practice regarding the use of steady burn warning lights by roadway agencies throughout the United States. (3) Assess the crash experiences of states with respect to the work zone steady burn warning light policy or practice. (4) Evaluate the impacts that steady burn warning lights on channelizing drums have on work zone crash occurrence in Michigan. (5) Evaluate the driver behavioral impacts associated with the use of steady burn warning lights on channelizing drums in Michigan work zones. (6) Determine the degree by which steady burn warning lights affect the overall brightness of work zone drums in Michigan. (7) Assess the overall impacts of steady burn warning lights on work zone safety.;The results showed that the presence of steady burn warning lights on work zone channelizing drums increased the occurrence of risky driver behavior, as evidenced by a higher proportion of drivers traveling too close to the drums, more frequent steering reversals, and higher vehicular speeds. These findings were further substantiated by the observance of a greater proportion of damaged drums at work zone locations with steady burn warning lights.;Steady burn warning lights were not found to provide substantial increases to the luminance of the drums either in the field or in a controlled environment. It was determined that the use of microprismatic sheeting materials provide considerably greater luminance increases for the drums compared to the addition of a steady burn warning light to the drum.;The state DOT survey revealed that only approximately one-third of the 42 responding state agencies utilize steady burn warning lights on channelizing devices in work zones and only one-tenth of the responding agencies utilize them on a frequent basis. The majority of agencies that use steady burn warning lights do so on an infrequent basis, typically for specific types of applications, such as at spot hazards, tapers, lane shifts, and crossovers.;The investigation of nationwide work zone crash statistics revealed only slight differences between the rates of work zone crashes for the various steady burn warning light usage practices. The states that frequently use lights on drums exhibited a slightly higher aggregate work zone crash rate, while the states that infrequently use lights on drums had the lowest aggregate crash rate. No discernable differences were observed between any of the three groups of states when examining work zone crashes as a proportion of total crashes.;A detailed review of Michigan work zone crash statistics revealed that a higher proportion of work zone crashes tended to occur during nighttime conditions at locations with steady burn warning lights compared to locations without steady burn warning lights. Deeper investigation showed that among those crashes occurring in the presence of drums, the proportion of the crashes that may have been affected by the drums was indistinguishable between the two samples.;Based on a synthesis of all results, steady burn warning lights demonstrate no substantive value to nighttime brightness, driver behavior, or crash prevention when used on channelizing drums in work zones. Thus, it was concluded that steady burn warning lights demonstrate no additional safety benefit when used on channelizing drums in work zones. Furthermore, steady burn warning lights may actually contribute to a greater crash risk due to the increase in risky driver behavior that was observed when steady burn warning lights were present.;Drums with high intensity sheeting that is in good condition will provide adequate nighttime brightness for work zone channelization regardless of whether a steady burn warning light is attached or not. Therefore, it is recommended that the use of steady burn warning lights on work zone drums be discontinued. If additional nighttime brightness of the channelizing devices is desired, the use of microprismatic sheeting on the drums provides far greater increases in brightness than the addition of a steady burn warning light. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...