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 Research Laboratory
TTI Facilities Research Road Safety Devices, Technologies
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Visibility Research Laboratory and smart intersection explore how improvements in road markings, signals and equipment can keep road users safe. Through the Eyes of the Visibility Research Laboratory Researchers in TTI’s Visibility Research Laboratory evaluate retroreflective materials, lights, coatings and other technologies designed to provide nighttime visibility. The lab […]
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 […]
Capitol Staff Members Briefed on High-Priority Research Initiatives
More than a dozen staff members representing various state legislators and committees visited TTI on February 21 to hear updates on some of the Institute’s high-priority efforts. The program lineup began with an overview of TTI by Agency Director Dennis Christiansen. Other key research area presentations by TTI personnel included: Steve Roop provided a status […]
TTI’s Visibility Research Laboratory Puts Safety in the Spotlight Worldwide
When you’re driving, you have to see to be safe. From speed limits to where the roadway curves, traffic signs and pavement markings communicate critical information to help drivers get safely where they’re going.
SPOTLIGHT: The Visibility Research Laboratory
“A dark and stormy night” is more than a clichéd way to introduce a story — it’s a dangerous driving scenario when the visibility of road signs becomes critical for safe passage. Nighttime traffic fatality rates are three times higher than their daytime equivalents. While fatigue and alcohol play important roles in nighttime crashes, Texas […]
Supporters Turn Out for State Headquarters and Research Building Grand Opening
The grand opening celebration for the Texas Transportation Institute’s (TTI‘s) first state headquarters building March 26 not only highlighted the past accomplishments of the Institute’s 60-year history but also the crucial work yet to be done. “Quite frankly, this new facility is clearly the envy of our peers,” Agency Director Dennis Christiansen told the 200 […]