Research Papers (2009 – 2013)

Abstract

The University of New Brunswick Transportation Group has conducted a study on the retroreflectivity of traffic signs for the New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure’s (NBDTI) sign population. A sample of 1123 road signs, from across the province, was collected. Several attributes were recorded, along with sign retroreflectivity, in order to determine what factors have an effect on the retroreflective deterioration of traffic signs in New Brunswick. Among the factors which were found to have statistical significance with respect to retroreflectivity are: sign age, district (location), the road class the sign was found on, and a visual condition rating given to signs in the field. The United States is the first country to establish a set of minimum levels for retroreflectivity, through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and as a result these standards are currently the only available quantitative evaluation criterion for traffic sign retroreflectivity. Signs were compared to the FHWA minimum levels of retroreflectivity and it was found that approximately 80% of New Brunswick road signs are compliant to their corresponding FHWA minimum retroreflectivity requirement. The Transportation Association of Canada has recently published a set of guidelines which are in-line with the FHWA standards of retroreflectivity entitled, ‘Guidelines for Selecting Sign Sheeting to Meet Minimum Retroreflectivity Levels’.

Denis Paradis, Eric Hildebrand, James Christie