RELATIONSHIP OF THE TIRE-PAVEMENT INTERFACE TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS OCCURRING UNDER WET CONDITIONS

INFORMATION WAS COLLECTED ON THE ACCIDENT VEHICLES AND SITES IN A TEN COUNTY AREA OF TEXAS AS FOLLOWS: (1) TIRE PRESSURE ON ALL TIRES, (2) TIRE TREAD DEPTH ON ALL TIRES, (3) OTHER PERTINENT TIRE INFORMATION, (4) SKID RESISTANCE AT THE SITE AND WITHIN 1/2 MILE, AND (5) OTHER PERTINENT ACCIDENT INFORMATION. THE WET WEATHER (TOTAL) ACCIDENT RATE WAS NEARLY DOUBLE THE RATE FOR ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR THE FIVE MONTHS STUDIED WITH THE PAVEMENT BEING WET 6.7% OF THE TIME PERIOD. IN CERTAIN AREAS THE WET WEATHER ACCIDENT RATE FOR ALL ACCIDENTS COULD VARY AS MUCH AS SIX TIMES THE AVERAGE WET WEATHER RATE FOR THE TEN COUNTY AREA. EVEN THOUGH OTHER TIRE FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT, THE LACK OF TREAD DEPTH ON THE REAR TIRES WAS OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE IN THE ACCIDENTS STUDIED AND PARTICULARLY FOR THE SKIDDING ACCIDENTS. DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND BETWEEN THE WET PAVEMENT SKID RESISTANCE OF THE ACCIDENT SITES AND THE AVERAGE VALUES WITHIN A RANGE OF ONE-HALF MILE FROM THE CORRESPONDING SITES. HOWEVER, THE DIFFERENCES WERE SMALL AND BELIEVED TO HAVE LITTLE EFFECT ON WET WEATHER ACCIDENTS. A DIFFERENCE WAS ALSO FOUND BETWEEN A SAMPLE AVERAGE (39) OF THE STATE-WIDE WET PAVEMENT SKID RESISTANCE AND THE AVERAGE (35) OF THE VALUES AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Hpr, 1-8-69-133, HPR-1(8)
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas State Department of Highways & Public Transp

  11th and Brazos Streets
  Austin, TX  United States  78701

  Bureau of Public Roads /US

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Dean, E H
• Publication Date: 1969-6

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash analysis; Crash causes; Moisture content; Pavements; Pressure; Skid resistance; Skidding; Tire treads; Tires; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Wet conditions
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pavements; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222581
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Oct 7 1994 12:00AM