01625669

Component

This study aims to provide a new countermeasure (directional rumble strips, DRS) for mitigating wrong-way driving onto freeway exit ramps. The resulting design is expected to create elevated noises and vibrations to warn wrong-way drivers and normal level of stimuli to encourage speed reduction for the right-way traffic. Five conceptual designs were proposed based on the state Department of Transportation (DOT) design guidelines, current practices, and feedback from pavement marking vendors. A national survey collected the opinions on the conceptual designs from transportation practitioners who are knowledgeable about rumble strips design, manufacturing, or installation. The field tests were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of eight DRS configurations. Acoustic and tactile signatures were measured by a specially-equipped passenger car under different speed ranges. The results show that the tested patterns created 61.8 to 80.0 dBA sound signals and 1.1 to 1.4 g vibration in the wrong-way direction when coming into contact with the DRS, indicating that all of the configurations were able to generally provide similar sound and vibration levels as the existing Transverse Rumble Strips (TRS). The statistical and comparative analysis identified three configurations that produced greater audible effect and slight tactile signals for the wrong-way driver than the right-way direction.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AHB50 Standing Committee on Traffic Control Devices.

01618707

17-03895

English

17p

2017

Transportation Research Board 96th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; Photos; References (31) ; Tables

Audible warning devices; Interchange ramps; Interchanges; Off ramps; Rumble strips; Tactile perception; Wrong way driving

Highways; Safety and Human Factors

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2017 Paper #17-03895

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Dec 8 2016 11:29AM