Seeing the road and everything around it while driving is not a preferred option; rather, it’s an essential component of safe driving. Driving is a visual activity, and as we make our way down a road, we all look at a wide range of visual inputs — the roadway, the surrounding terrain, other vehicles, roadside […]
visibility
Seeing the Road in Low-Visibility Conditions
Seeing the road is an essential component of safe driving. Drivers depend on a continuous flow of information as they move along the roadway to properly position their vehicle. Centerline and edge-line markings delineate the vehicle lane for drivers, while other markings such as stop bars and railway crossings provide key safety information and alert […]
Carlson One of Five Experts Asked to Contribute at FHWA Workshop on Visibility
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently published a summary report, Breakthroughs in Vision and Visibility for Highway Safety. The report documents the workshop, held August 13-14, 2014, at Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, Virginia. Sponsored by FHWA’s Office of Safety Research and Development and the Office of Safety—with support from the Exploratory Advanced Research […]
Visibility Research Laboratory: One-of-a-Kind Facility Changes with the Times
In 2009, when the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) added a Visibility Research Laboratory (VRL) to its collection of world-class research facilities, TTI Senior Research Engineer Paul Carlson had a vision for what the lab could accomplish. “Before the lab opened, when we needed to take controlled photometric measurements in order to tie those into […]
New Study Shines Light on Pavement Markings and Safety
When you drive at night and your headlights illuminate a lane marking, it makes you feel safer, right? After all, bright pavement markings are designed to help you stay in your lane and prevent you from running off the roadway. Called retroreflectivity, special materials in edge lines and lane lines create the brightness. With age […]
Carlson Featured in Traffic Technology International
Texas A&M Transportation Institute Research Engineer Paul Carlson was recently featured in the January issue of Traffic Technology International. The article is related to senior drivers and has a section on visibility, which Carlson is noted throughout the country for his research. Carlson is the division head for the Operations and Design Division and also leads TTI’s Visibility […]
Looking Out for Pedestrians
Two recent research studies on pedestrian crossings have aimed at making crosswalks safer and more efficient. Both studies are influencing national standards and making conditions better for pedestrians.