IMPROVING TRAFFIC OPERATIONS AND SAFETY AT EXIT GORE AREAS

THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WAS CONCERNED WITH THE PROBLEM OF ERRATIC MANEUVERS, SUCH AS BACKING UP AND STOPPING IN THE GORE AREA, THAT OCCUR WITH ALARMING FREQUENCY AT FREEWAY EXIT AREAS. INITIALLY, A STATE-OF-THE-ART SUMMARY WAS PREPARED FROM A THOROUGH REVIEW OF PAST AND CURRENT RESEARCH IN SIX AREAS: GEOMETRIC DESIGN; TRAFFIC CHARACTERISTICS; ACCIDENTS; HUMAN FACTORS; SIGNING; AND DELINEATION. THE SUMMARY IS PRESENTED AS A SERIES OF "LESSONS LEARNED" IN EACH OF THE SIX CATEGORIES. NINE EXIT SITES; INCORPORATING DIFFERENT GEOMETRIC FEATURES, WERE EXAMINED FOR ERRATIC MANEUVERS DURING THIS PROJECT. ANALYSES OF THE PATTERNS OF ERRATIC MANEUVERS AND ON-SITE DRIVER INTERVIEWS WERE USED TO DETERMINE CAUSATIVE FACTORS OF THESE MANEUVERS. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT MORE THAN ONE FACTOR IS USUALLY PRESENT AT ANY ONE SIDE, AND THAT THESE FACTORS VARY FROM SITE TO SITE: GENERALLY THE FACTORS CAN BE CLASSIFIED: (1) DRIVER RELATED (BREAK DOWN IN THE DRIVER DECISION-MAKING PROCESS); (2) INFORMATION DEFICIENCIES; (3) GEOMETRIC DEFICIENCIES. REMEDIAL MEASURES WERE INSTALLED AT EIGHT SITES AND EVALUATED ON THE BASIS OF REDUCTIONS IN ERRATIC BEHAVIOR. RESULTS SHOW THAT THE FREQUENCY OF THE HAZARDOUS MANEUVERS CAN BE REDUCED AT EXISTING SITES THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF STANDARD TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_145.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00775614
• 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:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Taylor, J I
  • McGee, H W
• Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 120 p.
• Serial:
  • NCHRP Report
  • Issue Number: 145
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0077-5614

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash causes; Driver performance; Drivers; Geometry; Gore area; Interchange ramps; Intersection elements; Personnel performance; Problem drivers; Reckless drivers; Signs; Traffic control devices; Traffic crashes; Vehicle mix
• Old TRIS Terms: Erratic driving behavior; Freeway entrances and exits; Gore
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226849
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jun 5 1974 12:00AM