EN 16276:2013
(Main)Evacuation Lighting in Road Tunnels
General Information
- Abstract
This European Standard specifies evacuation lighting in road tunnels longer than 500 m and with an AADT (Annual Average Daily Traffic) higher than 500 vehicles to facilitate the safe evacuation of vehicle occupants in evacuation situations such as fire. It addresses the fundamental issues of evacuation lighting for evacuation routes, emergency exits and cross connections, as well as giving some practical advice regarding aspects of installation and maintenance in road tunnels. It is intended to be used in conjunction with CEN/CR 14380:2003 or relevant national standards for road tunnel lighting.
The recommendations may be applied to tunnels up to 500 m in length, especially where conditions such as high traffic volume, or severe curvature or gradient apply.
It specifies lighting levels and general provisions for evacuation lighting installations that, based on experience, are considered to be necessary for the safety of people driving through road tunnels in case of an incident and particularly in case of fire. However, as there are different types of road tunnels, both in construction and traffic conditions, various types of incident may occur. This standard should be considered as a list of minimum prescriptions for evacuation lighting in tunnels, to be completed by means of specific risk analysis for the particular tunnel.
The design of marking and safety signs is not part of this standard.
- Status
- Published
- Publication Date
- 22-Jan-2013
- Withdrawal Date
- 30-Jul-2013
- Technical Committee
- CEN/TC 169 - Lighting applications
- Drafting Committee
- CEN/TC 169/WG 6 - Tunnel lighting
- Current Stage
- 9060 - Closure of 2 Year Review Enquiry - Review Enquiry
- Start Date
- 02-Sep-2018
- Completion Date
- 02-Sep-2018
Overview
EN 16276:2013 - Evacuation Lighting in Road Tunnels (CEN) defines minimum requirements for evacuation lighting in road tunnels longer than 500 m with an AADT above 500 vehicles. The standard focuses on lighting to support safe pedestrian evacuation (e.g., during fire) and complements normal and standby tunnel lighting. It provides guidance on evacuation routes, emergency exits, cross‑connections, installation, testing and maintenance - and is intended to be used alongside CEN/CR 14380:2003 or relevant national tunnel‑lighting standards.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope: Applies to tunnels >500 m and AADT >500; recommendations may also be applied to shorter tunnels in demanding conditions (high traffic, severe curvature/gradient).
- Power and duration: Evacuation systems must be supplied from an uninterruptible power source. If no national rule exists, evacuation mode duration should be at least 30 minutes or as determined by a tunnel‑specific risk analysis.
- Evacuation route marker lights:
- Spacing not to exceed 25 m and mounted no higher than 1.5 m above carriageway.
- Markers must be operational at all times (permanently lit or switched on in an emergency).
- Limitation of marker intensity to avoid driver glare: luminous intensity ≤ 40 cd in a cone of 2 × 15° in the driver’s viewing direction during normal conditions.
- Minimum maintained luminous intensity for pedestrian visibility in smoke: 0.1 cd per meter of marker spacing, with a minimum of 1 cd. For wider tunnels, determine intensity by tunnel width.
- Emergency exit markers and lighting:
- Green marker lights around exit frames are required.
- Flashing during evacuation is recommended (recommended flash 0.5–2 Hz) with luminous intensity ≥ 100 cd in all emission directions.
- Exit illumination should provide good colour rendering for green finishes.
- Evacuation route outside the tunnel:
- Maintain average horizontal illuminance not less than the tunnel interior daytime illuminance and overall uniformity (min/ave) ≥ 0.2.
- Light sources: colour rendering index Ra ≥ 40.
- Inspection/testing: Follow EN 50172 (or national regulation) for inspection and testing.
Practical applications and users
This standard is essential for:
- Tunnel designers and lighting engineers specifying evacuation lighting systems
- Road authorities and tunnel operators managing safety compliance
- Safety auditors and consultants conducting tunnel risk assessments
- Contractors and maintenance teams installing and testing emergency lighting
EN 16276:2013 provides minimum, experience‑based prescriptions that must be completed by a specific risk analysis for each tunnel.
Related standards
- CEN/CR 14380:2003 (Tunnel lighting)
- EN 1838 (Emergency lighting)
- EN 12665 (Lighting terms & criteria)
- EN 50172 (Emergency escape lighting systems)
- ISO 3864‑1 / ISO 7010 (safety sign design - referenced for signage)
Keywords: EN 16276:2013, evacuation lighting, road tunnels, tunnel safety, emergency exits, evacuation routes, standby lighting, AADT, lighting levels, tunnel maintenance, risk analysis.
Relations
- Effective Date
- 09-Feb-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Refers
EN 12665:2011 - Light and lighting - Basic terms and criteria for specifying lighting requirements - Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
Get Certified
Connect with accredited certification bodies for this standard
Zavod za gradbeništvo Slovenije (ZAG) - Inšpekcija
ZAG inspection body for construction products, structures, and materials.
Sponsored listings
Frequently Asked Questions
EN 16276:2013 is a standard published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its full title is "Evacuation Lighting in Road Tunnels". This standard covers: This European Standard specifies evacuation lighting in road tunnels longer than 500 m and with an AADT (Annual Average Daily Traffic) higher than 500 vehicles to facilitate the safe evacuation of vehicle occupants in evacuation situations such as fire. It addresses the fundamental issues of evacuation lighting for evacuation routes, emergency exits and cross connections, as well as giving some practical advice regarding aspects of installation and maintenance in road tunnels. It is intended to be used in conjunction with CEN/CR 14380:2003 or relevant national standards for road tunnel lighting. The recommendations may be applied to tunnels up to 500 m in length, especially where conditions such as high traffic volume, or severe curvature or gradient apply. It specifies lighting levels and general provisions for evacuation lighting installations that, based on experience, are considered to be necessary for the safety of people driving through road tunnels in case of an incident and particularly in case of fire. However, as there are different types of road tunnels, both in construction and traffic conditions, various types of incident may occur. This standard should be considered as a list of minimum prescriptions for evacuation lighting in tunnels, to be completed by means of specific risk analysis for the particular tunnel. The design of marking and safety signs is not part of this standard.
This European Standard specifies evacuation lighting in road tunnels longer than 500 m and with an AADT (Annual Average Daily Traffic) higher than 500 vehicles to facilitate the safe evacuation of vehicle occupants in evacuation situations such as fire. It addresses the fundamental issues of evacuation lighting for evacuation routes, emergency exits and cross connections, as well as giving some practical advice regarding aspects of installation and maintenance in road tunnels. It is intended to be used in conjunction with CEN/CR 14380:2003 or relevant national standards for road tunnel lighting. The recommendations may be applied to tunnels up to 500 m in length, especially where conditions such as high traffic volume, or severe curvature or gradient apply. It specifies lighting levels and general provisions for evacuation lighting installations that, based on experience, are considered to be necessary for the safety of people driving through road tunnels in case of an incident and particularly in case of fire. However, as there are different types of road tunnels, both in construction and traffic conditions, various types of incident may occur. This standard should be considered as a list of minimum prescriptions for evacuation lighting in tunnels, to be completed by means of specific risk analysis for the particular tunnel. The design of marking and safety signs is not part of this standard.
EN 16276:2013 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 93.080.40 - Street lighting and related equipment. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
EN 16276:2013 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to EN 50172:2004, CR 14380:2003, EN 12665:2011, EN 1838:1999. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
EN 16276:2013 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.Razsvetljava evakuacijskih poti v predorihFluchtwegbeleuchtung in StraßentunnelnEclairage des itinéraires d'évacuation dans les tunnels routiersEvacuation Lighting in Road Tunnels93.080.40Street lighting and related equipment93.060Gradnja predorovTunnel constructionICS:Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z:EN 16276:2013SIST EN 16276:2013en,fr,de01-maj-2013SIST EN 16276:2013SLOVENSKI
STANDARD
EUROPEAN STANDARD NORME EUROPÉENNE EUROPÄISCHE NORM
EN 16276
January 2013 ICS 93.080.40 English Version
Evacuation Lighting in Road Tunnels
Éclairage des itinéraires d'évacuation dans les tunnels routiers
Evakuierungsbeleuchtung in Straßentunneln This European Standard was approved by CEN on 1 December 2012.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
Management Centre:
Avenue Marnix 17,
B-1000 Brussels © 2013 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CEN national Members. Ref. No. EN 16276:2013: ESIST EN 16276:2013
A–deviations . 13 Bibliography. 14
part of the road used by vehicular traffic, normally divided into lanes
3.1.3 vehicular cross connections (between tunnel tubes) vehicular carriageway connecting adjacent tubes SIST EN 16276:2013
Key 1 main tunnel 2 vehicular cross connection Figure 1 — Vehicular cross connection 3.1.4 pedestrian cross connections (between tunnel tubes) pedestrian route connecting adjacent tubes
Key 1 main tunnel 2 pedestrian cross connection Figure 2 — Pedestrian cross connection SIST EN 16276:2013
Key 1 main tunnel 2 emergency exit 3 outdoor 4 safety gallery 5 safe area 6 evacuation route outside the main tunnel 7 final exit 8 evacuation route within the main tunnel 9 carriageway Figure 3 — Tunnel construction examples 3.2 Road tunnel evacuation lighting terms 3.2.1 standby lighting
part of the normal lighting that maintains the tunnel lighting at a specific level in the event of a breakdown of the power supply Note 1 to entry: Standby lighting is called emergency lighting in CEN/CR 14380:2003. SIST EN 16276:2013
...