01657920

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Lane departure crashes are a particular concern on rural two-lane highways, which are more susceptible to cross-centerline and run-off-road collisions. The installation of centerline, shoulder, or edgeline rumble strips are a common countermeasure to reduce the frequency of such crashes. Installation of both centerline and shoulder/edgeline rumble strips can typically be accommodated within wider pavements. However, proper placement of one or both is less straightforward for highways with narrower paved widths. Limited guidance exists regarding the width necessary to install both types of rumble strips, or which of the two to install when the installation of both is not feasible. The purpose of this study was to develop guidance in determining when to install rumble strips on narrow pavements based on various site-specific factors. This study involved an analysis of historical crash data for segments with various rumble strip configurations in order to assess the risk of cross-centerline and cross-edgeline crashes. Based on the results of this analysis, a prioritization strategy was developed based on the lane width, shoulder width, and annual average daily traffic at candidate locations. The results identify volume cut-points that distinguish between segments with varying crash rates. Overall, the results show that rumble strips provide an effective countermeasure across a broad range of site characteristics. In general, cross-centerline crashes are shown to be more prevalent than cross-edgeline crashes. Furthermore, centerline rumble strips are generally shown to be more effective than edgeline/shoulder rumble strips, supporting the installation of centerline rumble strips if only one type is feasible.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFB30 Standing Committee on Low-Volume Roads. This is an alternate title: Crash-Based Guidance for Rumble Strip Installation on Narrow Pavement.

18-00008

English

7p

2018

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Crash data; Guidelines; Pavements; Ran off road crashes; Rumble strips; Rural highways; Traffic crashes

Safety Performance Functions

Lane departures

Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pavements; Safety and Human Factors

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2018 Paper #18-00008

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 8 2018 10:02AM