Human Factors Opportunities to Improve Ohio\u2019s Transportation System

010020112005Final ReportPDFTech ReportFHWA/OH-2005/007State Job No. 134154Aged driversBest practicesHighway curvesInformation disseminationRaised road markingsResearchRumble stripsTraffic safetyHighway safetyData and Information TechnologyHighwaysOperations and Traffic ManagementResearchSafety and Human FactorsI73: Traffic ControlI83: Accidents and the Human FactorOhioUnited StatesFederal Highway AdministrationZwahlen, Helmut T.Oner, ErdincBadurdeen, F. FazleenaRuss, AndrewOhio Research Institute for Transportation and the Environment. Human Factors and Ergonomics LaboratoryOhio. Dept. of TransportationUS Transportation CollectionThe aim of this study was to identify opportunities to apply human factors principles and research to improve Ohio's transportation system. The Office of Traffic Engineering assigned 13 topic areas to provide information and the study was limited to these topics even though there may have been other areas that are important from a human factors perspective. The topic areas included: rumble strips, changeable message signs (CMS), work zone delineation, half-size pavement markings, accident mitigation, older drivers, traffic signal operations, highway lighting, curve delineation, wet/dark delineation, raised pavement markings (RPM), information dissemination, and work zone safety. The aim was to identify opportunities to improve each of these areas by providing the human factors rationale and make recommendations to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) that can be adopted to improve Ohio's transportation system. For each topic area an extensive literature survey, using published documents as well as web-based sources, was conducted to identify research that has been done by others in the United States and in other countries. A statewide DOT survey was conducted to determine the best practices of other states with respect to each area. In addition, a product survey was conducted to identify promising new products. Based on this information, human factors opportunities in each area were identified. Considerable information was found in the following topic areas: rumble strips and accident mitigation. Some information was found in the topics of work zone safety, CMS, older drivers, work zone delineation, curve delineation, and information dissemination. Little information was available on RPM, highway lighting, traffic signal operations, half-size pavement markings, and wet/dark delineation.75