Browsing by Subject "Work zone traffic control"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Examining the Impact of ASE (Automated Speed Enforcement) in Work Zones on Driver Attention
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2016-01) Morris, Nichole L.; Cooper, Jennifer L.; Ton, Alice; Plummer, John Paul; Easterlund, Peter
    Each year, there are over 500 fatal crashes in work zones in the U.S., with over 100 road construction workers killed on work sites (NSC, 2011; FARS, 2011). Speed and distraction are among the top contributing factors to work zone crashes (Garber & Zhao, 2002; Mountain, Hirst, & Maher, 2005; Wilson, Willis, Hendrikz, Le Brocque, & Bellamy, 2006). The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of different types of speed enforcement methods on driver attention in work zones. The investigation not only examined enforcement methods currently used in Minnesota, but also examined how implementing automated speed enforcement (ASE), which is not currently used in Minnesota, may influence driver attention and behavior in simulated work zones. Overall, the results do not appear to support the hypothesis that ASE without dynamic speed display sign (DSDS) improves driver attention in work zones. There is some evidence, however, that drivers did heighten their visual attention in work zones with ASE+DSDS enforcement. Drivers fixated on the secondary task display less frequently in the ASE+DSDS condition compared to other enforcement types while they traveled in the downstream portion of the work zone. The largest effects of the study were found among the age groups, with younger and older drivers exceeding the speed limit most often and varying their speed slightly depending on the type of enforcement present. Middle-aged drivers exhibited the greatest speed control and tended to abide by the speed limit to the same extent regardless of the type of enforcement present.
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    Flagger Operations: Investigating Their Effectiveness in Capturing Driver Attention
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2017-02) Harder, Kathleen; Hourdos, John
    This two-pronged (driving simulation and field study) investigation of driver behavior in work zones contributes basic and applied knowledge to our understanding of work zone safety. In the driving simulator study, a fully interactive PC-based STISIM driving simulator was used to test the effectiveness of roadway elements designed to capture and sustain the attention of drivers in flagger-operated work zones. The participants were 160 licensed drivers from four age groups: 18-24, 32-47, 55-65, and 70+ years of age. Each participant drove each of the three conditions in counterbalanced order. The driving simulator study revealed that the new set of elements is more effective than the elements currently used to reduce driving speeds on the approach to a flagger-controlled work zone. No difference in mean driver speed was found in response to the sign with an LED presence. The dynamic speed display coupled with the horn is more effective than the dynamic speed display alone. The cognitively engaging elements identified as effective in the driving simulator study were tested in two field operational tests. The field tests revealed that all but one of the elements identified in the experimental driving simulator study were effective. In particular, the findings revealed that a combination of the speed trailer and horn barrel are effective in reducing the overall speed of vehicles approaching the field study work zone. The field test revealed that the new experimental layout practically eliminated high-speed outliers in addition to its success in reducing driver approach speed to the flag operator.
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    Work Zone Mapping and Tag Deployment System
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-10) Parikh, Gordon; Duhn, Melissa; Loutfi, Andrew; Hourdos, John
    Roadway construction is an inevitable part of functional transportation infrastructure. However, work-zone incidents have increased overthe years. This report is the third part of an interdisciplinary project to improve driver safety in work zones. The first component was ahuman factors study, performed by Craig et al. (2017), determining the most effective way to alert drivers to work zones without disrupting driver behavior. The second component, by Liao (2019), sought to determine whether Bluetooth low-energy tags could be deployed in work zones to provide real-time updates to drivers’ mobile phones through an app. The third component, the Statewide Work Zone Information System (SWIS), establishes a real-time database of active work zones from the first advanced warning sign being placed to the time the crews pack up. SWIS uses beacons attached to traffic control devices, called assets, that send messages to a central cloud repository. From there, messages are processed, categorized into Projects, Traffic Control Plans, and Work Zones. SWIS continuouslyupdates based on asset messages it receives. Users can access SWIS through a web interface, to view active, past or future projects, plan aproject, or update existing projects. SWIS provides an online, real-time portal for storing, monitoring, and inspecting work zone traffic-control operations.