Effectiveness of Lane Direction Arrows as Pavement Markings in Reducing Wrong-Way Movements on Two-Way Frontage Roads

Abstract

The principal objective of this research was to conduct a before-and-after study of the impacts of using lane direction arrows on a two-way frontage road to determine if the arrows could reduce wrong-way movements for vehicles exiting the freeway. A recent national survey related to all-white pavement markings indicated that 94% of the 851 drivers surveyed correctly interpreted the intended meaning of the arrows to indicate the proper lanes for travel. The authors believed that this high comprehension rate could be useful in helping drivers at locations where a potential for driving in the wrong direction exists. Video surveillance of a two-way frontage road before and after installation of lane direction pavement marking arrows was conducted. It was observed that at the selected location, approximately one of every 13 drivers exiting the freeway to the frontage road acted as though the frontage road were a one-way section and incorrectly chose the left lane for travel. Significant reductions were observed in wrong-way driving after the installation of two lane direction pavement marking arrows downstream from the exit ramp. After the installation, only one of 150 vehicles selected the incorrect lane. Researchers concluded that lane direction pavement marking arrows had a beneficial effect on safety at the study location and recommended expanded efforts to determine other locations that could benefit from this treatment. Although the evaluation was limited to one study site, the strength of the results suggests that the treatment would be beneficial at other similar locations.