Improving Signs will Improve Driver Safety

Highway signage is an important part of the driving experience that gets very little attention from drivers until the information is needed. Most motorists can commiserate about additional driving time or missed appointments as a result of missing a directional sign. Signs that can’t be seen because of poor lighting or headlight glare can significantly add to driver frustration and, in some cases, poor driver judgment. Even with in-car navigation devices and directional assistance, proper signage is critical to safe and efficient traffic flow.

Good signage is especially important for night driving. Years of research demonstrate the importance of signs that reflect well when the driving environment is most challenging — at night or in inclement weather. That research has also resulted in improved materials that enhance the so-called “retro-reflectivity” of signs, or the efficiency of a sign at reflecting light back to the driver.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is expected soon to release new guidelines for signage that, at a minimum, will include updated retro-reflective requirements states must follow in the design and installation of their signs. AAA, along with other safety groups, called on the FHWA to add these minimum standards in the agency’s final regulations. Maintaining a sufficient level of brightness, or retro-reflectivity, contributes significantly to safer driving for all motorists, but older drivers will benefit most.

Studies consistently show that certain tasks required for driving become more difficult to perform as part of the aging process.

Deteriorating vision and hearing are the most common problems. Given that by 2020 there will be more than 40 million licensed drivers ages 65 and older, states need to begin now the process of updating signs and markings with improved retro-reflective materials.