High Visibility Safety Apparel and Nighttime Conspicuity of Pedestrians in Work Zones

Sayer, J.R., Mefford, M.L. 2004. High Visibility Safety Apparel and Nighttime Conspicuity of Pedestrians in Work Zones. Journal of Safety Research vol. 35, no. 5 (2004), p. 537-546.

Problem: Every year numerous occupational fatalities result from pedestrians being struck by motor vehicles intruding into work zones. Method: Attributes of retroreflective personal safety garments on pedestrian conspicuity at night were assessed in a field study. Using instrumented vehicles on a closed track, participants drove through simulated work zones attempting to detect pedestrians located in the work zones. Results: Configuration of the retroreflective trim, trim color, placement in the work zone, and driver age significantly affected pedestrian conspicuity. Intensity and the amount of retroreflective trim did not. Discussion: Personal safety garments incorporating retroreflective trim significantly improve pedestrian conspicuity in work zones. Summary: The results emphasize the importance of retroreflective trim on personal safety garments, particularly if the trim is located on garment sleeves. Impact on Industry: We examine the design attributes that contribute to making a personal safety garment conspicuous. The results have implications regarding preferred garment designs, industry standards, and service life of personal safety garments.