RETROREFLECTIVE BACKPLATES (BORDERS ON SIGNALS)

Goal

Increase driver awareness of intersections to increase safety.

WHAT IS IT?

Adding reflective backplates to traffic signals help to increase contrast for improved visibility both during the day and night times. They are good for people who might be colorblind and work well during power outages by providing the reflection of headlights, signifying the intersection. It is a low-cost safety treatment that can be implemented throughout communities.

Red light running is a large problem across the nation. This can be due to a driver attempting to speed through a light to avoid stopping, or it can be in part to not seeing that there is an approaching signalized intersection. Retrofitting these traffic signals can increase driver visibility especially during the late evening/early morning hours when visibility is diminished.

Despite not being the most effective countermeasure in reducing collisions, it is a proven safety measure that still reduces crashes and unintentional traffic violations. To learn more, click here.

Potential Conflicts

Much of the research done has not resulted in conflicts with this strategy. The foreseeable problem with the strategy would be the need to shut down an intersection for a period of time while being installed – but it might only last up to a few hours.

This has been a proven countermeasure in reducing crashes by alerting the driver of the signal and creating a longer reaction time to reduce the speed of vehicles when approaching an intersection.

Case Study Local

INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation) changed over 300 traffic signals in southern Indiana in 2016. This decision was part of a statewide effort to reduce crashes at intersections with traffic signals specifically.

The $300,000 contact was finalized and traffic lights were replaced along U.S 31 in Greenwood, U.S. 50 in Seymour, and State Road 46 in Bloomington.

Case Study National

Columbia, South Carolina was facing a problem where drivers were driving through signalized intersections due to low visibility. The low visibility at these intersections resulted in a high number of collisions and which the South Carolina Department of Transportation took notice of. To combat the low visibility, they installed yellow retroreflective boarders around the perimeter of the face of the existing signal backplates at thee intersections in June 2005.

As a result, all intersections saw a decrease in late-night/early morning crashes (a 49 percent decrease). Total crashes decreased 28 percent overall after retrofitting these signals. This was a lowcost solution that was relatively quick to install (two hours per intersection).