## 1 Introduction  
With the rising number of traffic injuries and fatalities globally, traffic safety has become a public health challenge that needs to be urgently addressed [1]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), traffic crashes often result in casualties and economic losses, with wide-ranging and far-reaching consequences for society [2; 3]. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among people aged 5-29 years, and this situation is particularly serious in low- and middle-income countries [4]. The consequences of these accidents are not only the direct loss of life but also the economic burden, long-term disability, and emotional trauma for survivors and their families [5]. Today, the increase in vehicles has led to traffic and congestion on motorways [6]. This results in any refurbishment of roads or maintenance being carried out during the day, all leading to delays and congestion on the motorways [7; 8]. Accidents caused by night-time traffic accidents are more common, more serious, and more frequent than those caused by construction equipment [9]. The increase in traffic has led to frequent congestion on motorways, forcing many repairs to be carried out during the day, which often results in traffic delays. Night-time work is more prone to traffic accidents, which are often more serious and more difficult to prevent, due to poor visibility and reduced driver alertness [10; 11; 12]. Against this background, it becomes particularly critical to ensure the safety of motorway maintenance and repair areas in order to avoid accidents that could lead to major traffic disruption and danger [13]. However, existing barricade systems do not perform well at night or in adverse weather conditions, and they suffer from significant shortcomings in terms of visibility, warning effect, and interaction with drivers, all of which significantly increase the risk of accidents [14; 15; 16]. Therefore, improving the performance of these roadblocks, especially in terms of enhancing their visibility and interaction, has become a pressing issue. Recently, researchers have worked to enhance the design of traffic control devices with the aim of communicating safety messages more effectively and attracting the attention of road users [17; 18]. Researchers have explored a variety of approaches, including the use of highly visible materials, reflective signs, and LED lights to enhance the conspicuousness of road signs [19; 20]. In addition, the application of color psychology has also proved to be crucial in the field of traffic safety, with studies finding that specific colors, such as red and yellow, elicit a rapid response and signal urgency [21; 22]. The development of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSs) provides new opportunities to enhance traffic safety. An ITS optimizes traffic flow and safety management by integrating advanced sensors, communication technologies, and data analytics [23; 24]. Despite these advances, there is still a noticeable gap in the design and evaluation of interactive barriers during emergency motorway repairs, particularly research that combines the principles of human visual perception with eye-tracking technology. Eye-tracking technology, as an emerging tool, provides new perspectives for traffic safety research. This non-invasive technology enables researchers to accurately analyze the visual behavior of drivers and pedestrians to gain insight into how they perceive and respond to various traffic stimuli [25; 26]. By quantitatively analyzing the extent to which road signs, signals, and other traffic control devices attract attention and the amount of time users spend processing information, eye-tracking research can play an important role in optimizing the design of these devices [27; 28]. This study aims to fill this gap by designing a novel interactive barricade, R-barricade, and evaluating it in combination with eye-tracking technology to improve traffic safety during highway emergency repairs.