BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION'S SKID-ACCIDENT REDUCTION PROGRAM

Review is made of Federal Highway Administration actions related to pavement skid-control qualities of federal-aid highway projects since the Highway Safety Act of 1966. Emphasis is on measuring skid resistance; obtaining and correlating accident data, material properties, and practices in design, construction, and maintenance for better skid resistance; and determining priorities for current projects. A coordinated research program was expanded in 1970 to include study on all phases of skidding accidents and the engineering factors and actions for their reduction, including 3 field test centers to calibrate skid measurement equipment. It is FHWA policy that pavement surfaces on all projects be designed, constructed, and maintained with the best practical skid resistance properties and that highway sections that are inadequate be identified and corrected. Since 1968, project work to improve pavement skid resistance has been eligible for Federal aid. Concern of the state highway departments for the legal implications of use of minimum skid numbers is recognized. The present program uses guidelines set by each state for their specific conditions to establish priorities for correction.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1974/523/523-003.pdf
• Summary URL:
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Legal Resources Group Council and Group 2 Council. 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.
• Authors:
  • Loutzenheiser, D W
• Conference:
  • 53rd Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1974-1-21 to 1974-1-25
• Publication Date: 1974

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 20-24
• Monograph Title: Skid resistance
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 523
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crashes; Federal aid; Federal aid highways; Highway departments; Highways; Improvements; Legal responsibility; Prevention; Research; Safety; Skid resistance; Skidding; Strategic planning; Test facilities
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00096427
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309023688
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jul 15 1975 12:00AM