Evaluation of a Motorist Awareness System

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a Motorist Awareness System (MAS) on vehicle speeds in highway work zones. Spot speed studies were conducted prior to, within,
and near the end of work zones along Interstate 10 and Interstate 95 in Florida which utilized the traditional Maintenance of Traffic plan and the MAS plan. Both the mean and 85th percentile speeds were consistently lower at the locations where the MAS was utilized and speeds were reduced by an average of 1.5 mph. Combining MAS with targeted speed enforcement resulted in reductions of 3 to 4 mph. The speed variance within the work zones and the proportion of speeding drivers were also shown to decrease due to the MAS. These results demonstrate that the use of MAS for construction work zones may be a practical countermeasure to reduce vehicular speeds and improve work zone safety.