From Bernie Wagenblast: Here's another visibility story. Instead of fog, this time the problem was a rainstorm followed by bright sunshine which blinded drivers. Here's a link to the story which has includes a video report: http://www.komotv.com/stories/29569.htm 70 Cars, Semis Crash On I-5 Near Tacoma January 30, 2004 By KOMO Staff PIERCE COUNTY - Sixty-two cars, seven semi trucks and a bus were involved in a series of chain-reaction traffic accidents on Interstate 5 Friday around 4:30 p.m. about a half mile south of McChord Air Force Base in Pierce County. Trooper Johnny Alexander with the Washington State Patrol says there were about a dozen separate accidents spread out over about three miles. At the height of the backup, it stretched at least seven miles. There have been several injuries, but they're all minor. The accidents shut down three of the four lanes of the southbound freeway for about an hour and a half. Crews cleared the accident around 6 o'clock. Witnesses say there was a very heavy rain squall followed by bright sunlight that reflected off the wet roads and reduced visibility to near zero right before all the accidents happened.

URL to 1/13/05 article on 200 vehicles crashed Wednesday in thick fog on a Michigan highway: http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/12/highway.crash.ap/index.html

The following article comes via Bernie Wagenblast. "New signs fail to halt Vasco crashes in fog" By Nathaniel Hoffman; CONTRA COSTA TIMES 1/21/05 More than a dozen cars crashed into each other Thursday morning in heavy fog on Vasco Road, snarling traffic on the perennially treacherous commuter shortcut. The traffic tangle came one day after the county installed a series of new signs meant to remind speeding drivers to take it easy on the rural route. Three vehicles collided at 8:50 a.m. just south of the Alameda County line, CHP Officer Steve Creel said. In the next 45 minutes, four more drivers within a mile of the first crash slammed into their fellow commuters, damaging 13 cars and trucks. All of the drivers were headed south toward Alameda County. The problem Thursday was heavy fog that left drivers with about 100 feet of visibility, Officer Cliff Kroeger said. "This is a very typical scenario of what happens in the fog," Kroeger said. While the Vasco crashes Thursday resulted in minor injuries, with only two people taken to hospitals, a fog-related crash on Cummings Skyway near Crockett seriously injured two drivers, Kroeger said. Maintaining 55 mph with only 100 feet of visibility will not give a driver enough time to react to any hazard that might suddenly appear out of the fog, he said. The new roadside signs, installed Wednesday by the Contra Costa County Public Works Department, remind drivers that Vasco Road has been declared a county safety corridor -- a road singled out for increased patrols and traffic-calming efforts. A task force formed after a high number of fatal crashes along Vasco, including seven deaths in 2003. Contra Costa County Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho, who was stuck in the foggy mess Thursday morning, said the signs are a tool to increase driver awareness and safety. Produced and installed at a cost of about $20,000, the signs depict a narrow road winding through a picturesque and windmill-lined scene, with the warning to "Drive Safe, Stay Alive." In the past year, Vasco Road has been resurfaced and restriped, and rumble strips added on the shoulders and between lanes, said Julie Bueren, deputy director of public works. Piepho said officials also are considering putting up soft stakes between the lanes to keep drivers from crossing the center line. The bright new stripes can help drivers navigate in the fog, Bueren said. Other safety measures the county has looked at, such as flashing lights, have not proved effective. "A lot of the collisions out there are the result of bad driver behavior," she said. The CHP says one safety measure will work: Slow down.

Alabama's Bayway Fog Warning System Out of Operation Since Katrina Link to story in the Mobile Register: http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1136283360238970.xml&coll=3 Thanks to Bernie Wagenblast for forwarding this. Best regards to all in the new year. Mark Mark R. Chandler, PE, CMfgE
U.S. DOT - FHWA Wisconsin Division
567 D'Onofrio Dr. - Suite 100
Madison, WI 53719-2844
office: 608-829-7514
fax: 608-829-7526
mark.chandler@fhwa.dot.gov Asst Coord for WisDOT's SW & NE Regions
Technology Transfer/Quality Engineer; Research Highway Visibility CoP: http://knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov/nhv

"It was Chaos": Fog Left No Warning for Cars Headed Into Louisiana Wreck
State has long-range plans to install electronic signs along highway. Link to article in The Daily Advertiser: http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060113/NEWS01/601130316/1002 Thanks to Bernie Wagenblast for this link. best regards, Mark Mark R. Chandler, PE, CMfgE
U.S. DOT - FHWA Wisconsin Division
567 D'Onofrio Dr. - Suite 100
Madison, WI 53719-2844
office: 608-829-7514
fax: 608-829-7526
mark.chandler@fhwa.dot.gov Asst Coord for WisDOT's SW & NE Regions
Technology Transfer/Quality Engineer; Research Highway Visibility CoP: http://knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov/nhv

While this is a similiar tragic fog-related accident, I would suggest it might be worth a quick look to see how much the local media has improved reporting. See link to story www.channel3000.com/news/7814156/detail.html and click on [watch the report] link. Also, click on the crash photo for more images. Mark Mark R. Chandler, PE, CMfgE
U.S. DOT - FHWA Wisconsin Division
office: 608-829-7514
mark.chandler@fhwa.dot.gov
www.fhwa.dot.gov/widiv/index.htm Field Operations Engineer
Asst Coord for WisDOT's SW & NE Regions

Very tragic. FYI. Our Fog Warning System is up and running on I-68. You can see the cameras and visibility readings by visiting www.marylandroads.com. Go to Live Traffic (CHART). Next click on Weather Stations (on the menu bar across the top.) Our sites are: I-68@Savage
I-68@US219
You need to have another Visibility Conference so I can come and visit you in WI. George Small
Assistant District Engineer - Traffic
Maryland State Highway Admin. -District 6
1251 Vocke Road
LaVale MD. 21502
301-729-8440
1-800-760-7138

Upgrades to I-75 fog warning system slated to start
State transportation officials say upgrades to a fog warning system along Interstate 75 near the site of a deadly 99 car pile-up are expected to begin next week. Memphis-based Transcore ITS LLC was awarded the contract on August 2nd for $6.79 million dollars to improve the warning system put in place after the fiery pile-up in December 1990. The incident was blamed on lack of visibility brought on by fog in the area near the Hiawassee River. Eleven people were killed and 50 were injured. Tennessee Department of Transportation Jennifer Osborne said the contractor wants to get as much work as possible done on the project before the rainy season sets in. The completion date is set for October 23rd 2007, with a three-month test period afterward. State officials announced plans two months ago to upgrade the 16-year-old warning system. Traffic-monitoring video cameras, remote-controlled message signs, radars and fog detectors will be installed. Law enforcement officers in the area say there have been no major fog-related crashes since the system was put in place. Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press
Amanda Dill , Producer
Last updated: 9/16/2006 11:24:42 PM Thanks to Bernie Wagenblast for passing this article along. Mark C.

Thanks to Bernie Wagenblast for this link to the Sunday, February 10, 2008,
Palm Beach Post article on "Fog Detectors Could Prevent Crashes, County Says,
but Florida Budget Tight"; the free link to story in the Palm Beach Post:


www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/02/10/s1c_ROAD_FO
G_0210.html

Fog related incidents are still a very difficult type of highway visibility
problem.

best regards, everyone

Mark

Mark R. Chandler, PE, CMfgE
U.S. DOT - FHWA Wisconsin Division
office: 608-829-7514
office cell phone: 608-287-4226
mark.chandler@fhwa.dot.gov

Environmental and Design Engineer - WisDOT's NW & NE Regions

The following article comes via Bernie Wagenblast.

Fog Signs Ready to Go on California Freeway
Link to story in The Selma Enterprise:

www.selmaenterprise.com/articles/2009/02/11/news/doc49931a9f11061856842388.txt

Mark

Mark R. Chandler, PE, CMfgE
U.S. DOT - FHWA Wisconsin Division
office: 608-829-7514
office cell phone: 608-287-4226
mark.chandler@fhwa.dot.gov

Field Operations Engineer - Local Program Projects Statewide

The following article comes via Bernie Wagenblast. Hard Lessons of Fog Tuesday.
It appears a traveling public's expectations and behavior can be modifided
after a serious highway fog event. A story from Abu Dhabi in The National.

www.thenational.ae/article/20090311/PAGETHREE/53252817/1119/FOREIGN

Mark

Mark R. Chandler, PE, CMfgE
U.S. DOT - FHWA Wisconsin Division
office: 608-829-7514
office cell phone: 608-287-4226
mark.chandler@fhwa.dot.gov

Field Operations Engineer - Local Program Projects Statewide