TRIS Online Record

Printable View

Title	FOG WARNING SIGN SYSTEM
Accession No	00225730
Authors	George, L E
Corp. Authors / Publisher	Itte, California University, Berkeley
Publication Date	19691200
Abstract	A SIX-MILE SECTION OF INTERSTATE 5 IN OREGON LOCATED IN THE WILLAMETTE RIVER VALLEY, WAS FOUND TO BE EXTREMELY SUSCEPTIBLE TO RADIATION TYPE FOG FORMING CONDITIONS DURING CERTAIN PERIODS OF THE YEAR. THE CONDITIONS WHICH BRING ABOUT RADIATION FOG ARE DISCUSSED. IN EARLY 1968, AN EXTREMELY VICIOUS CHAIN REACTION ACCIDENT PRECIPITATED A SERIES OF INVESTIGATIONS AND STUDIES INVOLVING OPERATING CONDITIONS ON THIS PORTION OF THE FREEWAY AS WELL AS POSSIBLE CORRECTIVE MEASURES. THE GENERAL ACCIDENT PATTERN IN SIX YEARS PRECEDING 1966, AT WHICH TIME A WARNING SIGN SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED, CONSISTED OF A TOTAL OF 13 ACCIDENTS INVOLVING 129 VEHICLES. SEVEN FATALITIES AND 73 INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. ORANGE, DIAMOND-SHAPE WARNING SIGNS WITH BATTERY-OPERATED FLASHING LIGHTS FIXED TO THE TOP OF THE POST WERE INSTALLED IN 1966. THESE SIGNS WERE MANUALLY OPERATED BY STATE PATROL MEN. SINCE MANUAL SIGN ACTIVATION WAS TOO SLOW, THE USE WAS OBTAINED OF A REMOTE TELEMETER CONTROL FOR SIX SIGNS FROM THE ALBANY OFFICE OF THE STATE POLICE. TWENTY-FOUR HOUR RADIO CONTACT BETWEEN POLICE MOBILE UNITS ON THE FREEWAY AND THE ALBANY OFFICE IS USED AS AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM ON WHICH DECISIONS ARE BASED TO ACTIVATE THE SIGNS IF THERE IS INDICATIONS OF A CRITICAL FOG. A RESEARCH PROGRAM IS BEING DEVELOPED TO MEASURE THE EFFECT OF THESE SIGNS ON THE TRAFFIC STREAM OPERATION.
TRT Terms	Accident analysis ; Accident causes ; Control ; Electromagnetic radiation ; Fatalities ; Fog ; Telemetry ; Traffic accidents ; Traffic signs ; Warning systems
Identifier Terms	Interstate Highway System
Other Terms	Chain reactions; Fatal accidents; Flashing sign; Radiation; Traffic accident analyses; Traffic accident causes
Subject Areas	H54 OPERATIONS AND TRAFFIC CONTROL
Report Number	pp 23-24
TRIS Files	HRIS
Database	TRIS Online

TRIS is a bibliographic database funded by sponsors of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), primarily the state departments of transportation and selected federal transportation agencies. TRIS Online is hosted by the National Transportation Library under a cooperative agreement between the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and TRB.