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NIGHT LIGHTS guide you safely through the darkness.
Signs that seem to glow in the dark can help motorists navigate the roadway safely at night. They are made with retroreflective sheeting materials that return light from headlights back toward the vehicle and the driver's eyes.
Retroreflective sheeting technology employs small glass beads and microprismatic reflectors. When signs are covered with retroreflective materials, they shine at night.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is developing standards for minimum retroreflectivity levels to encourage public agencies to inspect and maintain sign retroreflectivity for better nighttime visibility.
NIGHT LIGHTS allow motorists to see signs in the darkness, and then they are better able to comprehend them, and take appropriate action.
Vision declines with age. Starting at age 20, the amount of light needed by drivers to see doubles every 13 years. By the year 2020, more than 20 percent of the U.S. population will be 65 years of age or older. Older drivers have declining vision and slower reaction times, so they need enhanced nighttime visibility to maintain their independence and mobility.
State and local governments are dedicated to developing and maintaining a roadway system with enhanced safety and mobility - for both daytime and nighttime driving. By initiating sign management programs to maintain the retroreflectivity of roadway signs, government agencies can give drivers a better opportunity to drive safely at night.
Properly maintained retroreflective signs allow drivers to see signs sooner and better, giving them important regulatory, warning and guidance information - that just might save lives!
About 42,000 men, women and children have been killed on the nation's highways each year for the past 5-8 years.
While only 25 percent of travel occurs at night, more than half of traffic fatalities occur during nighttime hours. Inadequate and poorly maintained signs are cited often as a contributing factor to crashes and fatalities.
Guidelines for minimum retroreflectivity levels are being developed with input from State and local highway agencies. The guidelines will support provisions in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) to improve nighttime sign visibility on all roads, streets, and highways in the United States. These guidelines will enable officials to better manage sign resources to maintain reasonable night visibility.
NIGHT LIGHTS can help motorists navigate the roadway safely!
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Need help finding information about NIGHT LIGHTS?
Contact the Federal Highway Administration Offi ce in your State.More information can be found on the Federal Highway Administration's safety website at safety.fhwa.dot.gov
Or contact your Local/Tribal Technical Assistance Center (LTAP/TTAP) for training and information about sign inventory management systems.
FHWA-SA-03-003
