cost effective approaches to improving highway safety

Cost Effective Approaches to

Improving Highway Safety

Thomas M. WelchState Safety Engineer

Office of Traffic & Safety

Iowa DOT

tom.welch.@dot.iowa.gov

April 2005

2

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

1.2 million people will die as a result of

road crashes this year –

more than 3200 deaths each day

ROAD SAFETY IS NO ACCIDENT

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4

1 Murder

every 7.9 days

1 Aggravated Assault

every 87 minutes

1 Violent Crime every 70 minutes

1 Property Crime every 6 minutes

1 Crime every 5.5 minutes

1 Fatality every 19 hours

1 Injury every 15 minutes

1 Property Damageevery 10 minutes

1 Crash every 8 minutes

IowaCrime Crash

Clock(2000 data)

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United Kingdom 7.5 Netherlands 7.6 Sweden 8.3 Norway 8.3 Switzerland 8.4 Finland 8.5 Australia 9.0 Denmark 9.2 Canada 9.3 Germany 11.1

Global Safety Comparisons(Fatality Rate – 2002 data - deaths/1B kmVT)

(Source: IRTAD 2004)

Top 11 shown without the

United States.

Where do we rank?

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Global Safety Comparisons(Fatality Rate – 2002 data - deaths/1B kmVT)

United Kingdom 7.5 Netherlands 7.6 Sweden 8.3 Norway 8.3 Switzerland 8.4 Finland 8.5 Australia 9.0 Denmark 9.2 Canada 9.3 USA 9.4 Germany 11.1

10th(Source: IRTAD 2004)

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The Problem - Today

US Highway deaths have remained relatively constant–

42,643 (2003) 43,005 (2002) and…

The fatality rate is unacceptably high: 1.48 deaths per 100 million VMT

Jack Trice Stadium – Ames, IA

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Treatments Must Be Effective

andCost Effective

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Iowa DOT’s SafetyInvestment Focus

Emphasis on Reducing

Fatal and Major Injury Crashes

18

24

29

32

33

66

101

103

158

195

311

335

446

447

541

674

843

35

12

43

33

26

131

51

111

153

145

359

486

557

570

677

615

910

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

Bicyclists

Animal

Asleep

Train

Work Zone

Inattentive

Reckless

Pedestrian

Speeding

Motorcycle

Heavy Truck

Impaired

Drivers: Age >= 65

Drivers: Age 16-20

Intersection

Ran Off Road

Unbelted Persons

2000-2004 1995-1999*2004 Preliminary

Iowa Crash Deaths Associated with Key Areas

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Iowa Seatbelt Usage

86% Seat Belt Usage

The 14% Unbelted represent ~55% of Iowa’s Fatalities

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Iowa’s Roadway-Related Fatal Crashes

52% of Iowa’s fatalities are related to Lane Departure

39% of Iowa’s fatal crashes are single-vehicle ROR (Run-Off-Road)

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Safety Investment Strategy

Candidate Safety Projects Paved shoulders Milled in shoulder rumble strips 2-lane shoulder widening High severity crash 2-lane roads High crash curves Centerline rumble strips Cross-median head-on crashes High severity crash intersections Expressway intersections

7 of 9address ROR

crashes

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•Statewide curve average = 1.1 crashes / MVM•Top 30 average = 11.7 crashes / MVM•Worst Curve = 78 crashes / MVM•5% of crashes occur at top 30 locations (1% of curves)•11% of fatal crashes occur at top 30 locations

Primary Highway High-Crash Curves

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Curve Improvements

Improve superelevation Pave shoulders Add shoulder rumble strips Flatten foreslopes Remove fixed objects Delineate with chevrons /

pavement markings Ball bank advisory speed

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Bigger and Brighter Curveand Chevron Signs

US 6, Johnson County

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Bigger and Brighter Curve and Chevron Signs

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Inside CurvePaved Shoulder with Rumble Strip

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Outside CurvePaved Shoulder with Rumble

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Advanced Curve Warning Initiative

Pennsylvania DOT

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Rumble Warning Panelin Advance of Curve

US 18, Palo Alto County

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No Shoulders, Steep Slopes

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Shoulder Drop-off “Edge Rut”

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Two Feet Paved Shoulder,Flat (6:1) Foreslope

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Paved Shoulders

New Iowa DOT Policy:

4 Feet Paved Shoulders

(6 ft shoulders shown)

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Rolled-in Shoulder Rumble StripsRolled-in Shoulder Rumble Strips

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Photos: Pennsylvania DOT

Milled-in Shoulder Rumble Strips

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Paint in Milled Rumble Strip

I-75 Michigan

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Normal Edgeline

Rumble Edgeline

Comparison of painted edgeline in Rain

Paint in Milled Rumble Strip

Photo: Michigan DOT

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Milled Centerline Rumble Strips

2 Milled Strips @ 2 Milled Strips @ 4 ft spacings4 ft spacings

Minnesota:

Centerline Rumble Strips

MN State Rte 23, 2-lane

St. Cloud to Willmar

50 miles

Installed 2000

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Night Performance ofPavement Markings

Photos courtesy of 3M

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Pavement Markings

Material

Cost / mile(4-inch

solid line)Life

Water-based $ 4006 mos. – 2

yrs

High-build Water Borne

$ 630 2 – 3 yrs

Epoxy, Polyurea

$ 3,100 3 – 4 yrs

Milled-in Tape $ 15,800 4 – 7 yrs

Milled-in Tape

Water-based paint

NEW

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Florida 6-inch Markings and Raised Pavement Markings (RPMs)

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Brighter Signs & Pavement Markings

Iowa Hwy 76Clayton Co.

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Brighter Signs & Pavement Markings

I-35Ankeny

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BEFORE

AFTER

Utility Pole Relocation / Consolidation

Pennsylvania DOTDigitally Enhanced Photographs

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Utility Pole Delineation

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Clear Zone: Guys & Push Poles

Watch clear zone encroachment Mark guy wires for snowmobiles Breakaway guy wires

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BEFORE

AFTER

Tree Removal

Pennsylvania DOTDigitally Enhanced Photographs

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BEFORE AFTER

Slope Flattening & Day Lighting

Pennsylvania DOTDigitally Enhanced Photographs

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Daylight: Intersections, Drives

Vegetation: crops, bushes Cut or fill problem Signs & poles

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Culverts

Consider Drop Inlets

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Mailboxes

Replace with breakaway posts and well-fastened boxes

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Cross Slopes (Transverse)

Flatten to avoid impacts or ramping Remove or grate pipe hazards

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Rip Rap

Foreslope and toe: maximum 4 inch Backslope: any size? Do not create a wall

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Skid Resistance

FrictionProgram

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Median Cable (Brifen)

Successful in Oklahoma City Successful on I-35 near Ankeny Easy to maintain and replace

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Use More Traditional Cable

I-80 Western Iowa

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Larger Stop SignLarger Stop Sign

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Flag on Stop Ahead Sign

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Flags on Stop Sign

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Flashing Beacon on Stop Sign

Advance Stop Sign Rumble StripAdvance Stop Sign Rumble Strip

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Sign Replacement & Maintenance

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Flashing Overhead Beacons(NOT effective)

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Large Advance StreetName Sign

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Larger Street Name Signs

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Larger Street Name Sign

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Florida Advance Lane Assignments

Florida Department of Transportation

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Delineate Median Storage

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Advisory Speed with Beacon

US 65, Bondurant

ProtectedLeft-turn ArrowOffset Left-turn Lanes for Better Visibility

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Offset Right-turn Lane

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Off-Set Right-Turn Lanes

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More and Longer Rural Turn Lanes

US 30 & S 27, Story County

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Safety Dikes (Escape Ramps)

Opposite all “T” intersections Free of fixed objects

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Signals

Back plates Add mast arms Add far right side heads Head for each lane Detector location and

operation Combination poles Replace 8 inch lenses with

12 inch Mill/patch affect detectors Pedestrian signal/buttons

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Michigan - RIDP

At intersections where 12 inch signals replaced 8 inch signals: 26% reduction in total crashes 46% reduction in injuries 63% reduction in angle crashes

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Roundabouts

University Place,Washington

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Roundabout Conflict Points

9 Conflicts6 Major

32 Conflicts24 Major

8 Conflicts4 Major

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Driver Safety Corridors

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Sioux Center, Iowa 4-lane undivided to 3-lane

BEFORE

AFTER

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5-Lane / 3-Lane with Parking

University Ave., Des MoinesUniversity Ave., Des Moines

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Pedestrian Advisory Signing

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Low-Cost Intersection Gap Warning System

Pennsylvania DOTDigitally Enhanced Photograph

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Tailgating Treatment

Pennsylvania DOTDigitally Enhanced Photograph

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“Sometimesthe best public works project is the concrete you don’t pour.”

- Steve PorterMissouri DOT

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Return on Investment?

Iowa Highway FatalitiesFive Year Average

1995 -1999 480

2000 - 2004* 421*

Preliminary*

Ten-Year Change in Average Fatality Rates(2001-02 Avg. vs 1991-92 Avg.)

-49.1%

-33.4%

-31.8%

-31.2%

-29.1%

-26.7%

-25.6%-25.4%

-24.8%

-24.7%

-24.3%

-23.4%

-23.3%

-23.0%

-20.9%

-20.7%

-20.3%

-20.2%

-20.1%

-19.7%

-19.6%

-19.6%

-18.4%

-18.2%

-17.9%

-17.2%

-16.9%

-16.5%

-16.4%

-16.0%

-16.0%

-15.6%

-15.4%

-14.5%

-13.3%

-13.3%

-12.9%

-11.3%

-10.4%

-9.9%

-9.6%

-9.5%

-8.4%

-7.8%-7.6%

-5.7%

-5.6%

-2.5%

4.5%

5.3%

5.7%

-100% to -23.0%-23.0% to -10.0%-10.0% to 6.7%

DC

Ten-Year Change in US Average Fatality Rate

- 17.7%

Charles (Tony) Aiken, FHWA, 2004 Traffic Records Forum

Cost Effective Approaches to

Improving Highway Safety

Thomas M. WelchState Safety Engineer

Office of Traffic & Safety

Iowa DOT

tom.welch.@dot.iowa.gov

April 2005