Pavement Marking Patterns and Widths – Human Factor Study

Various broken lane line configurations, marking length and gap between markings, exist across the United States. The normal width of pavement markings and the use of contrast markings with broken lane lines also varies across the country. This project explored how various pavement marking configurations impact observations from drivers during an open road human factors evaluation. The participants drove an instrumented vehicle through test areas with various pavement marking configurations. Participants provided feedback on marking visibility and their preference toward the pavement marking pattern. Participant observations took place during the day and at night. Researchers also conducted a preliminary investigation into the same marking test areas using an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS).

The study found that drivers preferred wider broken lane line markings, and broken lane line markings with more marking and less gap than current MnDOT practice. No specific preferences were found for contrast markings. The researchers recommend that MnDOT adopt the 12.5-foot to 37.5-foot broken lane line pavement marking pattern as it is preferred by road users and maintains the current MnDOT 50-foot cycle length. In addition, to skip line and gap dimensions, the research team also recommends MnDOT adopt 6-inch-wide pavement markings as the research results show that not only are 6-inch-wide pavement markings preferred over 4-inch-wide pavement markings by road users, they also offer a safety benefit.