TTI Study Recommending LCD’s to Improve Safety

Plastic Water-Filled LCD’s Can Prevent Drivers from Entering Work Zones.

College Station, TX. — Texas Transportation Institute researchers released a study January 18 examining the effectiveness of longitudinal channelizing devices (LCD’s) in work zones, the results recommending LCD’s for several applications to improve work zone safety…

The report titled, “Studies to Determine the Effectiveness of Longitudinal Channelizing Devices in Work Zones”, show the results of a drivers ability to successfully navigate a work zone when LCD’s are used in comparison to the use of traditional channelizing devices. The results showed that drivers were less confused because the LCD’s provided more path guidance information over the traditional channelizing devices used in the study. In fact, “Participants preferred the LCD treatments to the all drum treatments”.

Researchers recommended the use of LCDs on both tapers and tangents in the immediate vicinity of exit ramps when a high number of deliberate intrusions into work zones to access the exit ramp are expected or have occurred. The use of LCDs at both the tapers and tangents of exit ramps should drastically reduce the number of deliberate intrusions into work zones.

Summer is a busy time for road construction, and wrecks are common in work zones.

Statistics from the Federal Highway Administration showed 720 people died in highway work zones across the country in 2008.

“In a work zone, the road is going to change,” said Brad Sant, a vice president for the trade group that represents road construction workers, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. “If drivers are not paying attention, or if they’re frustrated or weaving around barrels, accidents are going to happen.”

“The use of state of the art Longitudinal Channelizing Devices (LCD’s) will prevent vehicles from attempting to pass backed up traffic by traveling into the work zone,” said Marc Christensen, Founder of OTW Safety and President of The WBMA, a trade group representing manufacturers of LCD’s. “In addition, LCD’s are much larger, so the motorist can see the work zone further in advance than with the use of drums or cones. With more advance warning for the drivers of these vehicles, many accidents can be avoided.”

The paper can be viewed at The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse website, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and organized by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA).