OPERATIONAL AND SAFETY PROBLEMS OF TRUCKS IN NO-PASSING ZONES ON TWO-LANE RURAL HIGHWAYS

Two-lane rural roads in mountainous terrain with large truck volumes pose a real problem for the motorist. Extended roadway sections with severe sight restrictions and inadequate passing opportunities can make overtaking and passing a slow-moving vehicle extremely difficult. Further, the ability of large trucks to maintain speed decreases drastically over lengthy gradient sections. The inability of motorists to pass slower moving vehicles on these highways causes reductions in throughput and increases in delay, conflict, and hazard. Passing maneuvers on two-lane highways require a series of complex information-processing and decision skills, which makes these maneuvers one of the most demanding and risky operations performed by the motorist. Trucks require considerably longer distances than do automobiles to pass on two-lane rural roads. Even with their greater eye heights, truckers are placed at a disadvantage under the current system of marking no-passing barriers. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the interactive effects of geometric design elements and traffic composition (with particular emphasis on truck traffic) on traffic accidents and operational aspects on two-lane highways in mountains. Included in this analysis are passing-related accidents, human factors elements, and the impact of passing lanes and four-lane sections. Conclusions and recommendations, which draw on the findings of various research studies on the topics of truck traffic and no-passing zones, are also presented.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1986/1052/1052-009.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=OPERATIONAL+AND+SAFETY+PROBLEMS+OF+TRUCKS+IN+NO-PASSING+ZONES+ON+TWO-LANE+RURAL+HIGHWAYS&author=S.+Khasnabis&publication_year=1986
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309039681
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appeared in Transportation Research Record N1052, Symposium on Geometric Design for Large Trucks. 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:
  • Khasnabis, Snehamay
• Publication Date: 1986

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 36-44
• Monograph Title: SYMPOSIUM ON GEOMETRIC DESIGN FOR LARGE TRUCKS
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1052
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash rates; Four lane highways; Geometric design; Human factors; Mountains; No passing zones; Passing zones; Rural highways; Trucks; Two lane highways; Vehicle mix; Vehicle safety
• Old TRIS Terms: Vehicular safety
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00459765
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0-309-03968-1
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-040 129
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 30 1990 12:00AM