IN-SERVICE EXPERIENCE ON INSTALLATIONS OF TEXAS MODULAR CRASH CUSHIONS

NINETY-NINE FATALITIES OCCURRED ON FREEWAYS IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, FROM SEPTEMBER 1961 THROUGH JUNE 30, 1968. CONCRETE ABUTMENTS AND "T" MOUNTS LOCATED IN THE GORE OF DIVERGING LANES ACCOUNTED FOR 27.3% OF THESE FATALITIES. THE MODULAR CRASH CUSHION, COMPOSED OF 55-GALLON STEEL BARRELS, WAS DEVELOPED TO DECREASE THE SEVERITY OF VEHICLE COLLISIONS WITH THESE GORE OBSTACLES. THREE CONCRETE ABUTMENT GORE LOCATIONS WERE THE SCENE OF EIGHT FATAL ACCIDENTS REPORTED DURING THE PERIOD FROM SEPTEMBER 1965 THROUGH OCTOBER 1968. MODULAR CRASH CUSHIONS WERE INSTALLED AT THESE THREE LOCATIONS AS WELL AS AT TWO OTHER GORE POSITIONS IN LATE OCTOBER 1968. RECORDS SHOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN 13 ACCIDENTS INVOLVING THESE INSTALLATIONS THROUGH OCTOBER 1969 WITH NO SERIOUS INJURIES NOR FATALITIES. THIS REPORT DESCRIBES THESE MODULAR CRASH CUSHION INSTALLATIONS AND THE EXPERIENCE GAINED FROM INVESTIGATIOON OF EACH ACCIDENT INVOLVING THEM. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Res Rept 146-2, 18 PP
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
  Arlington, TX  United States  76011
• Authors:
  • White, M C
  • Ivey, D L
  • Hirsch, T J
• Publication Date: 1969-12

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abutments; Concrete structures; Containers; Crash investigation; Crashes; Cushioning materials; Fatalities; Freeways; Gore area; Injuries; Injury severity; Installation; Knowledge; Modular structures; Steel; Studies; Traffic lanes; Vehicles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Experience; Severity
• Old TRIS Terms: Cushioning; Gore; Inservice; Lanes
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221158
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 12 1971 12:00AM