FHWA: Making Our Roads Safer One Countermeasure at a Time

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ provencountermeasures. 6. Backplates with Retroreflective Borders SAFETY BENEFIT: Source: FHWA Signal backplate Retrorefective Border 15% Reduction in total crashes INTERSECTIONS | PROVEN SAFETY COUNTERMEASURES Backplates added to a trafic signal indication improve the visibility of the illuminated face of the signal by introducing a controlled-contrast background. The improved visibility of a signal head with a backplate is made even more conspicuous by framing it with a retroreflective border. Signal heads that have backplates equipped with retroreflective borders are more visible and conspicuous in both daytime and nighttime conditions. This treatment is recognized as a human factors enhancement of trafic signal visibility, conspicuity, and orientation for both older and color vision deficient drivers. This countermeasure is also advantageous during periods of Example of a signal backplate framed with a retroreflective border. power outages when the signals would otherwise be dark, providing a visible cue for motorists. Transportation agencies should consider backplates with retroreflective borders as part of their eforts to systemically improve safety performance at signalized intersections. Adding a retroreflective border to an existing signal backplate is a very low-cost safety treatment. The most efective means of implementing this proven safety countermeasure is to adopt it as a standard treatment for signalized intersections across a jurisdiction. Source: FHWA Retroreflective borders are highly visible during the night. Source: South Carolina DOT Source: CMF Clearinghouse, CMF ID 1410.