Reducing the potential for crashes involving front line service workers and passing vehicles is important in increasing worker safety in work zones and similar locations. Flashing yellow warning beacons are often used to protect, delineate, and provide visual information to vehicles within and approaching work zones. Field studies of simulated workers (with and without reflective vests) present outside trucks were simulated to evaluate the effects of different warning beacon intensities and flash frequencies. Interactions between intensity and flash frequency were also analyzed. This study determined that intensities of 25/2.5 cd and 150/15 cd (peak/trough intensity) provided the longest detection distances of the simulated worker. Mean detection distances in response to a flash frequency of 1 Hz were not statistically different from those in response to 4 Hz flashing. Simulated workers wearing reflective vests were seen the furthest distances away from the trucks for all combinations of intensity and flash frequency.
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