Evaluation of Wet-Weather and Contrast Pavement Marking Applications (0-5008-S)

This two-page report summarizes the research performed in Project 0-5008, Evaluation of Wet-Weather and Contrast Pavement Marking Materials and Applications. The project was conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute, a member of the Texas A&M University System, in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation. During the 30 month project, researchers evaluated 20 years of Texas nighttime rainfall data, obtained pavement marking samples from a variety of sources, measured retroreflectivity under dry and wet conditions, and measured distances at which people could identify the pavement markings. The researchers found that ASTM retroreflectivity measurements do not represent actual nighttime rainfall in Texas and should not be used in deciding which markings to use. The recommended markings are the raised reflective pavement markings (RRPMs), which far exceed wet-night detection distances for other markings. Contact information and websites are given for more information.