ACCIDENT ANALYSIS BEFORE AND AFTER INSTALLATION OF EXPANDED METAL GLARE SCREEN - ABRIDGEMENT

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT AN EXPANDED METAL GLARE SCREEN IN THE MEDIAN OF A HORIZONTAL CURVE HAD ON ACCIDENTS ON THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM IN COLUMBUS, OHIO. ACCIDENTS WERE ANALYZED BEFORE AND AFTER INSTALLATION OF THE GLARE SCREEN BY DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, TIME OF DAY, AND TYPE. DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME FIELD OBSERVATIONS WERE ALSO CONDUCTED TO MEASURE THE EFFECTS OF THE GLARE ON MOTORISTS. THE PRIMARY CONCLUSIONS REACHED IN THIS STUDY ARE THAT THE INSTALLATION OF EXPANDED METAL GLARE SCREEN ON A HORIZONTAL CURVE OF AN URBAN FREEWAY PRODUCES IMPROVEMENT IN SPECIFIC TYPES OF ACCIDENTS UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. THE EXPECTED REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS AT NIGHT IN THE NORTHBOUND DIRECTION OF TRAVEL WAS FOUND EVEN THOUGH TRAFFIC VOLUMES INCREASED. THE OVERALL ACCIDENT RATE FOR THE NORTHBOUND DIRECTION HAD THE GREATEST ACCIDENT REDUCTION, WHICH SUPPORTED THE NIGHTTIME REDUCTION. THE COMPLETE ELIMINATION OF HEADLIGHT GLARE WAS RECORDED WHERE THERE WAS OBJECTIONABLE GLARE BEFORE THE SCREEN WAS INSTALLED. /ARTICLE/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr107/107-019.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Highway Research Board (HRB)

  Washington, DC   
• Authors:
  • Musick, James V
• Conference:
  • Second Western Summer Meeting
  • Location: Salt Lake City Utah, United States
  • Date: 1969-8-11 to 1969-8-13
• Publication Date: 1970

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Pagination: p 179
• Monograph Title: Highway safety
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 107
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Before and after studies; Crash analysis; Crash rates; Curves (Geometry); Days; Glare; Headlamps; Metals; Night; Prevention; Safety; Screens; Traffic crashes
• Identifier Terms: Interstate Highway System
• Uncontrolled Terms: Horizontal curvature
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220866
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jul 14 1970 12:00AM