z Research Trends and Results

Realization of a Safe and Secure SocietyRoad Marking Design Know-how
KANEKO Masahiro, Head MINOSHIMA Osamu, Researcher
Advanced Road Design and Safety Division, Road Department

directionᷫㅦ䊙䊷䉪䈮䉋䉎䊌䉺䊷䊮
Patternbased on speed
reduction marks

Intersection
warning

Travelingㅴⴕᣇะ੤Ꮕὐᵈᗧㅊ⓭ᵈᗧ

Rear-end collision
warning

2. Analysis of cases of measures
Figure 1. shows typical road marking patterns,
which road managers selectively install according tothe situation at each location. There are also cases
where road managers have designed innovative roadmarkings and combined them with colored pavement.
This research involved collecting and classifying roadtraffic conditions and accident reduction effectivenessand carrying out interviews with road managers andidentify the design know-how applied to each case.
Figure 2. is an example: markings installed on an
approach to an intersection to prevent rear-end
collisions. In this case, 1.25 rear end collisions/year(4-year average) occurred before this measure wastaken, but none occurred during the 2 years after it
was taken. At the design stage, the planners studied
the road marking installation point considering theaccident’s point, the intersection congestion length(length of congestion of cars waiting for thePatternbasedᢥሼ䈮䉋䉎䊌䉺䊷䊮on characters

Figure 1. Typical Road Marking Patterns
intersection signal), and the car braking distance. The“rear-end collision warnings”, which show the contentof the risk, are placed in advance of the accident’spoint and “speed reduction marks (dotted lines)” areinstalled further on to urge drivers to slow down.
3. Conclusion
The following design know-how has been abstracted

After measuresBefore measures

1. Introduction
Traffic safety measure projects often adopt roadmarking measures, which can be installed cheaply andtake effect immediately (this research examines roadmarking and colored paving intended to preventrear-end collisions, intersection collisions). But
because design concepts for road markings have notyet been organized, they are often designed based on
the experience of road managers. The NILIM hascollected examples of road marking measures andanalyzed their accident reduction effectiveness tocreate an inventory of know-how which can be applied
to design road markings.

Accidents causing death/injury(accidents/year)(Key words) Traffic safety measures, accident analysis, road markings

Speed reduction mark (165m)

Rear-end collision warning letters 19m

zRear end collision before
measures: 1.25/year
Distance from stop line (m)(stop line)zNo rear-end accidents after themeasures

Intersection (stop line)

Measure execution year: 2005
Pre-measure evaluation years:
2001 – 2004
Post-measure evaluation years:
2006 – 2007

Ŷ Rear-end collisions
Ŷ Other accidents
Slanted lines arenighttime accidents
Travelingdirection

View of congestion inadvance of the intersection

Figure 2. Highly Effective Cases
by a detailed survey of cases in various regions.
࡮ In many cases, characters are marked on the roadsurface to clearly inform drivers of what they should
be careful of. At locations where it is difficult fordrivers to notice danger, dangerous locations areemphasized by speed reduction marks.
࡮Road markings are often placed in front of theaccident’s point or intersection congestion length
considering the braking stopping distance etc. of cars.
࡮There are cases where the road markings are difficult
to see because of cars ahead on sections with heavy
traffic, so the study included the joint use of
signboards which are relatively easy to see, evenduring congestion.
Plans for the future include the verification frommany aspects of the design know-how which has been
abstracted accompanied by the clarification ofconditions for application of each type of know-how,and the provision of the information for roadmanagers.
[Reference:] Web site of the Advanced Road Design
and Safety Division (giving access to related reports)
http://www.nilim.go.jp/lab/gdg/index.htm