Abstract
Reflector posts are meant to increase optical guidance and help drivers see the road alignment ahead so that they can prepare for the driving task to come. It is often assumed that the additional visual cues provided by reflector posts also promote traffic safety. An experimental study on the effects of reflector posts was carried out on two-lane rural highways in Finland. On roads with 80-km/hr speed limits and relatively low geometric standards, the reflector posts increased driving speeds in darkness. The largest detected increases were 5 to 10 km/hr. The number of injury accidents in darkness increased by 40 to 60%. On roads with better geometric standards and 100-km/hr speed limits, the effects on driving behavior and accidents were small. The results indicate that reflector posts on narrow, curvy, and hilly roads can significantly increase driving speeds and accidents in darkness.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 57-66 |
| Journal | Transportation Research Record |
| Issue number | 1403 |
| Publication status | Published - 1993 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |