Evaluate the Safety Effects of Multiple Vehicle Synchronized Warning Lights in ODOT Work Zones

In 2024, 56 Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) crews were struck while working on the highway system. As of March 2025, 43 ODOT crews have been struck. With safety being of the upmost importance to ODOT's Executive Leadership, protecting road crews and individuals working on ODOT jobsites remains a common theme when investigating new technologies and techniques to help reduce and minimize these accidents. Currently ODOT has a variety of light-emitting diode (LED) warning light systems in use on its fleet of maintenance vehicles. When these vehicles are concentrated in a work zone, there has been concern that these lights, while flashing independently, can lead to confusion among the motoring public as they enter the work zone. Added to this, ODOT operates work zones during all times of the day and in all weather conditions further exacerbates the situation. This can result in unsafe driving practices and increased accidents. There is a growing opinion among transportation professionals that synchronizing warning lights and/or customizing patterns to evolve situationally could alleviate, if not resolve, these dangerous work zone crashes. ODOT is looking to evaluate the effectiveness of a system that synchronizes the warning systems of all vehicles present in a work zone. A system that could increase driver awareness and reduce safety related incidents would be useful not only to ODOT but to local public agencies, emergency responders, and other state departments of transportation (DOTs). OBJECTIVES: The goal of this research is to identify the effectiveness of using synchronized warning light systems versus non-synchronized warning light systems on work zone vehicles.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Planning/SPR/Research/reportsandplans/Lists/Final%20Reports%20All/Item/displayifs.aspx?List=47f3581d%2Df21c%2D403b%2D9358%2Dfea0b008772b&ID=828&Source=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edot%2Estate%2Eoh%2Eus%2FDivisions%2FPlanning%2FSPR%2FResearch%2Freportsandplans%2FLists%2FFinal%2520Reports%2520All%2FAllItems%2Easpx%3FuseFiltersInViewXml%3D1%26FilterField1%3DCategories%26FilterValue1%3DSafety%26FilterType1%3DMultiChoice%26FilterField2%3DResearch%255Fx0020%255FOrganization%26FilterValue2%3DUniversity%2520of%2520Cincinnati%26FilterType2%3DChoice%26FilterField3%3DProposal%255Fx0020%255FType%26FilterValue3%3DStandard%26FilterType3%3DChoice%26FilterField4%3DList%255Fx0020%255FCategori%26FilterValue4%3DActive%26FilterType4%3DChoice&ContentTypeId=0x0100BD006C89430C884FB603A74E63BB6849&RootFolder=%2FDivisions%2FPlanning%2FSPR%2FResearch%2Freportsandplans%2FLists%2FFinal%20Reports%20All

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $375,648.69
• Contract Numbers:

  44029

  123389

  136996

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Ohio Department of Transportation

  Research Program
  1980 West Broad Street
  Columbus, OH  United States  43223
• Project Managers:

  Spriggs, Jennifer

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Cincinnati

  Civil Engineering Department, P.O. Box 210071, 741 Baldwin Hall
  Cincinnati, OH  United States  45221-0071
• Principal Investigators:

  Ahmed, Mohamed

• Start Date: 20260615
• Expected Completion Date: 20280615
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Light emitting diodes; Maintenance equipment; Warning systems; Weather conditions; Work zone safety
• Identifier Terms: Ohio Department of Transportation
• Geographic Terms: Ohio
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01989095
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Ohio Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 44029, 123389, 136996
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: May 12 2026 10:43AM