HIGHWAY GEOMETRIC DESIGN CONSISTENCY RELATED TO DRIVER EXPECTANCY, VOLUME I, EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This volume, the first of a four-volume final report, presents a summary of the research conducted and procedure developed for identifying rural non-freeway geometric design inconsistencies. Volume II documents the research conducted and the study results. Volume III presents the highway geometric inconsistency procedure. A detailed on-site inventory of the geometric features studied, supporting laboratory data and a cost-effectiveness methodology are presented in Volume IV. The conceptual basis of the study is that the roads of today have created an expectancy set that cannot be ignored in design. Certain types and combinations of geometric features (e.g., divided highway transitions, lane drops, intersections and sharp curves) are not expected by drivers and, when presented in unusual circumstances, are likely to violate driver expectancy and cause unsafe driving to occur. Field and laboratory studies provided empirical data to support the results. (FHWA)

• Corporate Authors:

  Texas A&M Research Foundation

  College Station, TX  United States  77843

  Federal Highway Administration

  Engineering Research and Development Bureau, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Messer, C J
  • Mounce, J M
  • Brackett, R Q
• Publication Date: 1981-4

Media Info

• Pagination: 19 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Consistency; Cost effectiveness; Curves (Geometry); Design; Divided highways; Drivers; Expected value; Geometric design; Highway design; Highway safety; Identification systems; Intersections; Inventory; Lane drops; Rural highways
• Uncontrolled Terms: Design features; Identification; Transition zones
• Old TRIS Terms: Expectation
• Subject Areas: Design; Freight Transportation; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00341590
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-RD-81-035 Final Rpt., FCP 31J3-302
• Contract Numbers: DOT-FH-11-9230
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 23 1981 12:00AM