FLUORESCENT ROAD SIGNS
WRECK-LESS DRIVING©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist
FLUORESCENT ROAD SIGNS
HAZEL DELL, IL: “Have you seen the new fluorescent yellow/green road signs? They seem to be used only for warning of the possible presence of pedestrians or bicyclists” So asks Ella D. in a recent letter about road signage. Yes, Ella, I had seen them on a CD-Rom from The U. S. Department of Transportation. They looked impressive on my computer and should be very effective on the roadways .
One, of many, vision problems motorists have is seeing moving objects early enough when they are smaller than automobiles. Judging their distance and speed is a problem for many older drivers. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and small animals are in peril when on the roadways. While motorcyclists burn their headlamps in daylight to be more visible we do not see many pedestrians carrying lit flashlights during the day. Bicyclists could burn their handlebar lights but the batteries would run down all too soon. As for animals, well, we can see their eyeballs at night but they do not reflect enough during daylight.
A special sign warning of the potential presence of these smaller travelers is an excellent improvement in posting effective street and highway signs. These new signs are used in only a few locations right now and simply cannot be at all places where smaller mobile road users may be. Thus we need to continue our safe driving practice of keeping our full attention on our driving. Distractions such as cell phones, exciting radio programs, smoking while driving, out of control children, and back seat drivers do make it more difficult for the driver to be watchful for dangerous road situations of all types.
GHD205 all rights reserved
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist
FLUORESCENT ROAD SIGNS
HAZEL DELL, IL: “Have you seen the new fluorescent yellow/green road signs? They seem to be used only for warning of the possible presence of pedestrians or bicyclists” So asks Ella D. in a recent letter about road signage. Yes, Ella, I had seen them on a CD-Rom from The U. S. Department of Transportation. They looked impressive on my computer and should be very effective on the roadways .
One, of many, vision problems motorists have is seeing moving objects early enough when they are smaller than automobiles. Judging their distance and speed is a problem for many older drivers. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and small animals are in peril when on the roadways. While motorcyclists burn their headlamps in daylight to be more visible we do not see many pedestrians carrying lit flashlights during the day. Bicyclists could burn their handlebar lights but the batteries would run down all too soon. As for animals, well, we can see their eyeballs at night but they do not reflect enough during daylight.
A special sign warning of the potential presence of these smaller travelers is an excellent improvement in posting effective street and highway signs. These new signs are used in only a few locations right now and simply cannot be at all places where smaller mobile road users may be. Thus we need to continue our safe driving practice of keeping our full attention on our driving. Distractions such as cell phones, exciting radio programs, smoking while driving, out of control children, and back seat drivers do make it more difficult for the driver to be watchful for dangerous road situations of all types.
GHD205 all rights reserved
posted by WRECK-LESS at Saturday, April 12, 2008
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