SMALL CAR INTERACTION WITH ROADSIDE BARRIERS. VOLUME 1: ENGINEERING EVALUATION. VOLUME 2: STATISTICAL EVALUATION. FINAL REPORT

Volume 1 describes a detailed statistical analysis of Texas roadside barrier accidents in comparison with another state which uses the nationally accepted guard fence standard. The object of the statistical evaluation of accident data was to identify any deficiencies in the Texas guard fence design for small cars. No practical difference in the performance of the Texas guard fence when compared with the national standard design of another state was found. Snagging on the unblocked out system used in Texas was not an obvious problem, based on the data set. The w-beam barrier redirects about 60 percent of the impacting vehicles. Volume 2 describes a detailed statistical analysis of Texas roadside barrier accidents in comparison with another state which uses the nationally accepted guard fence standard. Snagging on the unblocked out system used in Texas was not an obvious problem based on this data set, although vehicles under 2500 pounds in curb weight did have 9 percentage points greater probability of rollover. The w-beam barrier redirects about 65 percent of the impacting vehicles and the expected increased severity with decreasing vehicle curb weight upon impact with a concrete safety shape could not be tested due to the very small number of concrete safety shape impacts in the Texas data set.

• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
  Arlington, TX  United States  76011

  Texas State Department of Highways & Public Transportation

  Transportation Planning Division, P.O. Box 5051
  Austin, TX  United States  78763

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Woods, D L
  • Pendleton, O
  • von Tress, M
• Publication Date: 1986-3

Media Info

• Pagination: 66 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Compact automobiles; Crash analysis; Design standards; Guardrails; Impacts; Rollover crashes; Statistical analysis; Structural design; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: W beams
• Old TRIS Terms: Small car
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00457537
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-86/31+333-1F, FHWA/TX-86/38+333-1F
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 31 1987 12:00AM