Effectiveness of Steady Burn Warning Lights on Drums in Construction Work Zones

This research evaluated the effectiveness of orange colored drums with orange and white reflectorized stripes used as a delineation treatment in highway work zone traffic control with and without steady burn warning lights mounted on the top of the drums. Currently in Michigan, warning lights are used on drums in work zones. It should be noted that in the United States, only five other states (in addition to Michigan) use warning lights on drums for work zone traffic control. The purpose of this study was to evaluate driver performance in terms of vehicle operational measures in work zones channelized by drums with and without steady burn warning lights through field observations in actual highway work zone settings. The study evaluated various driver performance measures including vehicular lateral placement, speed, steering reversals and traffic crash experiences. The statistical analysis performed with the field data did not indicate any significant difference in driver performance between work zone traffic control with and without steady burn warning lights on drums. This study also included a comparison of crash experience for ?before? and ?during? the construction both at the test and control sites.