• 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
    • Online Courses
    • FHWA Safety Grant Products
    • Toolboxes
    • Flagger
    • Certification and
      Accreditation
  • Work Zone Devices
  • Laws, Standards & Policies
  • Public Awareness
  • About
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Search
Publication

Portable, Non-Intrusive Advance Warning Devices for Work Zones With or Without Flag Operators

Author/Presenter: Hourdos, John
Abstract:

The main objective of this study was to develop a work zone alert system informing speeding drivers of the upcoming work zone and raising their attention level before they reach the taper line and/or the work zone flag operator. The resulting system, termed Intelligent Drum Line (IDL), is capable of delivering visual and auditory warnings, targeting vehicles that are exceeding the posted or temporary speed limit upstream of the work zone. The IDL system, in its final incarnation, is the best compromise that can be reached between developing a low-cost system that is rugged enough to be deployed on the shoulder of high-speed roadways and comprised of as few individual parts as possible so a single work zone worker can deploy and move the system as the work zone operations are progressing and delivery of a warning targeted only at vehicles that are going faster than the desired speed set by the work zone crew. The IDL system has been tested in the MnROAD facility, targeting vehicles ranging from regular passenger vehicles to a 3-ton snowplow truck. The auditory warning has been successful in penetrating the vehicle cab and loud enough to attract the attention of the driver. Although, still in a prototype stage, the IDL system has received high marks from MnDOT engineers and work zone workers. Further development is needed to ensure that the final product is crash proof and that it can be produced efficiently.

Publisher: University of Minnesota, Center for Transportation Studies
Publication Date: 2012
Full Text URL: Link to URL
Publication Types: Books, Reports, Papers, and Research Articles
Topics: Speed Control; Warning Devices; Work Zone Safety

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