Arts & Social Sciences
Te Kura Kete Aronui

Project index

  Driver Perception & Attention

Conspicuity of road workers' safety garments
2000
Funded by Transit New Zealand

The results from this study showed that conspicuity trials produced shorter detection times than attention conspicuity trials. This clearly strengthens the case for the use of a standard coloured safety garment so drivers can associate a certain colour with road workers, which in turn will increase detection rates and safety of road workers.

It was evident that conspicuity was reduced for garments with reflective stripes, especially against bright backgrounds. Therefore, it is recommended that reflective stripes not to be used on safety garments worn in daylight conditions. If reflective stripes need to be on the garments, fluorescent orange would be the better choice as yellow with reflective stripes was less visible when the results were combined.

The overall results showed that the fluorescent orange garment had the shortest detection time, with fluorescent yellow being the second shortest. Reflective stripes on the garments impaired rather than improved daytime conspicuity.