TRAFFIC CONTROL & ROADWAY ELEMENTS - THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO HIGHWAY SAFETY/REVISED. CHAPTER 7 CROSS SECTION AND PAVEMENT SURFACE

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CROSS SECTIONAL ELEMENTS OF THE HIGHWAY AND ACCIDENTS ARE ESTABLISHED. PAVEMENT SURFACES SHOULD RETAIN SHAPE AND STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY UNDER THE TRAFFIC FOR WHICH IT IS DESIGNED. PAVEMENT SLIPPERINESS RESULTS WHEN WATER LUBRICATES THE TIRE-ROAD SURFACE CONTACT AREA, WHEN THE HIGH SKID RESISTANCE OF A SURFACE HAS BEEN WORN AWAY, AND WHEN VEHICLE SPEEDS ARE TOO HIGH FOR VEHICLE MANEUVERS. SKIDDING ACCIDENT RATES ARE HIGHEST ON SHARP CURVES, STEEP HILLS, AND NEAR INTERSECTIONS; SEASONAL VARIATION FOR WET PAVEMENTS IS HIGHER IN SUMMER MONTHS. A HIGH SKID RESISTANCE LEVEL MAY BE BUILT INTO NEW PAVEMENT RESULTING IN REDUCED ACCIDENT RATES. IN ADDITION TIRES HAVE A LONGER LIVED, SKID RESISTANCE LEVEL BUILT INTO THEM. THE USE OF RUMBLER PAVEMENTS TO WARN THE DRIVER OF UPCOMING HAZARDS IS REPORTED ON AS WELL AS GENERAL SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS AND CROSS SLOPE. THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THE PROPER NUMBER AND WIDTH OF LANES IN RELATION TO THE TRAFFIC VOLUME IS STRESSED. BRIEF DISCUSSIONS ARE INCLUDED ON: MEDIANS, MEDIAN OPENINGS, GUARDRAILS, SHOULDERS, DRAINAGE CHANNELS AND SIDE SLOPES, MEDIAN BARRIERS, CRASH BARRIERS, ROADSIDE HAZARDS, SIGN SUPPORTS, LUMINAIRE SUPPORTS, AND HEADLIGHT GLARE.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • The Automotive Safety Foundation published the first three chapters in this series. The remaining nine chapters were published by the Highway Users Federation for Safety and Mobility.
• Corporate Authors:

  Highway Users Federation for Safety and Mobility

  1776 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Authors:
  • Dearinger, J A
  • Hutchinson, J W
• Publication Date: 1970

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 21 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash rates; Crashes; Cross sections; Crossovers; Drainage structures; Glare; Guardrails; Hazards; Headlamps; Luminaires; Median barriers; Median openings; Medians; Pavement design; Pavements; Road shoulders; Rumble strips; Seasons; Signs; Skid resistance; Slipperiness; Slopes; Speed; Surface course (Pavements); Texture; Tires; Traffic lanes; Vehicles; Wet weather; Width
• Uncontrolled Terms: Seasonal variations; Side slopes; Wet pavements
• Old TRIS Terms: Drainage systems; Lanes
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pavements; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00225915
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 10 1971 12:00AM