Evaluation of the 5.8-mile Highway Light System for Guidance in Fog on Afton Mountain

About the report:

This report presents the results of an evaluation of the 5.8-mile fog guidance light system on I-64 across Afton Mountain. It is a companion to "Interim Report No. 3, Evaluation of Pavement Edge Inset and Low Level Illumination Lights in Fog," which gave the results of an evaluation of the 0.5-mile, semipermanent test section of lights installed in 1973. Data for the current evaluation were obtained through questionnaire and interview contacts with highway employees, local residents, professional truck drivers, and travelers who cross Afton Mountain frequently. It was found that the responses were overwhelmingly positive; so much so, that the authors suspect that even the slightest aid to motorists who must travel through dense fog is enormously appreciated. For example, 97% of the people supplying data said that the lights either formed a pattern for their vehicle to follow or helped in outlining the road edges. Approximately 90% indicated that the lights reduced the anxiety of driving in the fog. Responses to all of the questions, with the exception of those dealing with increasing the visibility of a vehicle ahead, were similarly positive. Most motorists said the lights did not increase the visibility of vehicles ahead. Since the survey reported was performed while the system was still new and novel, and problems with the control system giving incorrect intensities of light for certain fogs were not completely solved, the authors recommend that a similar evaluation be made one year hence. The results of the three opinion surveys could then be compared and the final evaluation made.

Authors