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

3

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)

5

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?

6

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)

7

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

8

9

Treatments Must Be Effective

andCost Effective

10

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

12

Iowa Seatbelt Usage

86% Seat Belt Usage

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

13

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)

14

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

15

•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

16

Curve Improvements

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

pavement markings Ball bank advisory speed

17

Bigger and Brighter Curveand Chevron Signs

US 6, Johnson County

18

Bigger and Brighter Curve and Chevron Signs

19

Inside CurvePaved Shoulder with Rumble Strip

20

Outside CurvePaved Shoulder with Rumble

21

Advanced Curve Warning Initiative

Pennsylvania DOT

22

Rumble Warning Panelin Advance of Curve

US 18, Palo Alto County

23

No Shoulders, Steep Slopes

24

Shoulder Drop-off “Edge Rut”

25

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

26

Paved Shoulders

New Iowa DOT Policy:

4 Feet Paved Shoulders

(6 ft shoulders shown)

27

Rolled-in Shoulder Rumble StripsRolled-in Shoulder Rumble Strips

28

Photos: Pennsylvania DOT

Milled-in Shoulder Rumble Strips

29

Paint in Milled Rumble Strip

I-75 Michigan

30

Normal Edgeline

Rumble Edgeline

Comparison of painted edgeline in Rain

Paint in Milled Rumble Strip

Photo: Michigan DOT

31

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

33

Night Performance ofPavement Markings

Photos courtesy of 3M

34

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

35

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

36

Brighter Signs & Pavement Markings

Iowa Hwy 76Clayton Co.

37

Brighter Signs & Pavement Markings

I-35Ankeny

38

BEFORE

AFTER

Utility Pole Relocation / Consolidation

Pennsylvania DOTDigitally Enhanced Photographs

39

Utility Pole Delineation

40

Clear Zone: Guys & Push Poles

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

41

BEFORE

AFTER

Tree Removal

Pennsylvania DOTDigitally Enhanced Photographs

42

BEFORE AFTER

Slope Flattening & Day Lighting

Pennsylvania DOTDigitally Enhanced Photographs

43

Daylight: Intersections, Drives

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

44

Culverts

Consider Drop Inlets

45

Mailboxes

Replace with breakaway posts and well-fastened boxes

46

Cross Slopes (Transverse)

Flatten to avoid impacts or ramping Remove or grate pipe hazards

47

Rip Rap

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

48

Skid Resistance

FrictionProgram

49

Median Cable (Brifen)

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

50

Use More Traditional Cable

I-80 Western Iowa

51

Larger Stop SignLarger Stop Sign

52

Flag on Stop Ahead Sign

53

Flags on Stop Sign

54

Flashing Beacon on Stop Sign

Advance Stop Sign Rumble StripAdvance Stop Sign Rumble Strip

56

Sign Replacement & Maintenance

57

Flashing Overhead Beacons(NOT effective)

58

Large Advance StreetName Sign

59

Larger Street Name Signs

60

Larger Street Name Sign

61

Florida Advance Lane Assignments

Florida Department of Transportation

62

Delineate Median Storage

63

Advisory Speed with Beacon

US 65, Bondurant

ProtectedLeft-turn ArrowOffset Left-turn Lanes for Better Visibility

65

Offset Right-turn Lane

66

Off-Set Right-Turn Lanes

67

More and Longer Rural Turn Lanes

US 30 & S 27, Story County

68

Safety Dikes (Escape Ramps)

Opposite all “T” intersections Free of fixed objects

69

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

70

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

71

Roundabouts

University Place,Washington

72

Roundabout Conflict Points

9 Conflicts6 Major

32 Conflicts24 Major

8 Conflicts4 Major

73

Driver Safety Corridors

74

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

BEFORE

AFTER

75

5-Lane / 3-Lane with Parking

University Ave., Des MoinesUniversity Ave., Des Moines

76

Pedestrian Advisory Signing

77

Low-Cost Intersection Gap Warning System

Pennsylvania DOTDigitally Enhanced Photograph

78

Tailgating Treatment

Pennsylvania DOTDigitally Enhanced Photograph

79

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

- Steve PorterMissouri DOT

80

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