Steady-Burn Lights in Highway Work Zones: Further Results of Study in Ohio

Examined in this paper is the effect of steady-burn lights on driver behavior in divided and undivided highways with horizontal and vertical curves; and with and without external lighting, entrance and exit ramps, tapered sections of lane closures, and median crossovers. The study was based on an examination of the driving behavior of a sample of driver subjects who were asked to drive an instrumented automobile in several highway work zones during the day, during the night when steady-burn lights were placed on drums, and during the night when steady-burn lights were removed. The effect of steady-burn lights on the lane-changing behavior of motorists in advance of the tapered sections was determined by recording traffic volume at three to four locations in each travel lane before the taper. The results showed that steady-burn lights had little effect, if any, on driver behavior in highway work zones. It appears that the high-intensity sheeting on drums and the flashing arrow panel had a powerful effect on drivers, thus leaving the steady-burn lights without any practical value in the work zones. It is concluded that steady-burn lights are not required for traffic control when drums with high intensity sheeting and flashing arrow panel are used as channelizing devices in these highway facilities.