• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Logo

Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse

Library of Resources to Improve Roadway Work Zone Safety for All Roadway Users

  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • X
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Work Zone Data
    • At a Glance
    • National & State Traffic Data
    • Work Zone Traffic Crash Trends and Statistics
    • Worker Fatalities and Injuries at Road Construction Sites
  • Topics of Interest
    • Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety
    • Smart Work Zones
    • Work Zone Safety and MobilityTransportation Management Plans
    • Accommodating Pedestrians
    • Worker Safety and Welfare
    • Project Coordination in Work Zones
  • Training
    • Flagger
    • Online Courses
    • Toolboxes
    • FHWA Safety Grant Products
    • Certification and
      Accreditation
  • Work Zone Devices
  • Laws, Standards & Policies
  • Public Awareness
  • Events
  • About
  • Contact
  • Search
Publication

Evaluation of Green Lights on TMAs

Author/Presenter: Brown, Henry; Sun, Carlos; Edara, Praveen; Zhang, Siyang; Qing, Zhu
Abstract:

The use of green versus traditional amber lights on Truck Mounted Attenuators (TMAs) was investigated to see if their use could help to improve safety in mobile work zones. Four light color configurations were evaluated via a combination of simulator and field study: amber/white, green only, green/white, and green/amber. The TMAs were used as shadow vehicles representing mobile work zones and were equipped with flashing light bars, an arrow board, and a checkerboard sign with steady light bulbs. Driver behavior measures, including first blinker distance and speed, merge distance and speed, work zone and arrow direction recognition distance, and disability glare were captured in simulator tests. Vehicle speeds as they passed TMAs were recorded in both the simulator and field studies. The simulator study results indicated that the amber/white combination had the highest visibility of work zone but created the highest level of concern with disability glare. The green only configuration yielded the least disability glare but also low overall visibility. The study findings implied an inverse relationship between visibility (awareness of work zone) and arrow board recognition (easy on eyes). The green/amber TMA light configuration performed roughly between the two aforementioned configurations and was the configuration preferred by the participants in a post simulator survey. The field study found that the green only TMA slowed drivers down when they passed the mobile work zone, and lower TMA speeds led to lower vehicle speeds. The results did not point in a single direction for both the simulator and field tests, and all four configurations appear to be viable.

Publisher: Missouri Department of Transportation
Publication Date: 2018
Full Text URL: Link to URL
Publication Types: Books, Reports, Papers, and Research Articles
Topics: Behavior; Color; Driver Performance; Driving Simulators; Glare; Truck-Mounted Attenuators; Visibility; Warning Lights; Work Zones

Copyright © 2025 American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse is a project of the ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation. It is operated in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and Texas A&M Transportation Institute. | Copyright Statement · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer
American Road and Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation, American Road and Transportation Builders Association U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Texas A&M Transportation Institute