THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACCIDENT EXPERIENCE AND WET PAVEMENT SKID RESISTANCE

Wet accident experience of rural highway sections in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Kentucky was related to measurements of average wet pavement skid resistance, SN sub 40, in separate and combined analyses. Two classes of highway were analysed: two lane unidivided rural arterials having posted speeds 96-104 km/hr (60-65 mph), and average annual traffic volumes 0-8400 vpd; two lane divided rural freeways and parkways having posted speeds 112 km/hr (70 mph), and average annual traffic volumes 1100-34000 vpd. The data exhibited strong nonlinear variation and considerable scatter. Ten point moving average plots of wet accident experience vs SN sub 40 served to subdude scatter and identify SN sub 40 levels at which significant increases in wet pavement accident experience occurred. Plots of wet accidents per mile vs SN sub 40 appeared to have less scatter than those in which the significant relative frequency of wet accidents was used as the wet accident variable. In addition, wet accident experience averaged over 2 or more years gave less scatter than plots of yearly wet accident experience. Preliminary equations were developed from the data using a non-linear least squares computer program. Two lane undivided rural highway data exhibit a higher level of wet pavement skid resistance demand than that for four lane divided rural highways. Wet pavement skid resistance ranges at which marked increases in wet accident experience occurred were, for two land rural arterials: SN sub 40 = 55-60; for four lane rural freeways and parkways: SN sub 40 = 43-50. Present recommended minimum wet pavement skid resistance levels for highways having mean speeds in the range of 64-112 km/hr (40-70 mph), appear to be low when the trends of this study are examined. /Author/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1976/624/624-013.pdf
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=THE+RELATIONSHIP+BETWEEN+ACCIDENT+EXPERIENCE+AND+WET+PAVEMENT+SKID+RESISTANCE&author=J.+Dean&publication_year=1977
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309025745
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This article appeared in Transportation Research Record No. 624, Skidding Accidents--which contains ancillary papers to the proceedings of a conference conducted by the Transportation Research Board, May 2-6, 1977.
• Authors:
  • Dean, J Paul
• Conference:
  • Second International Skid Prevention Conference
  • Location: Columbus Ohio, United States
  • Date: 1977-5-2 to 1977-5-6
• Publication Date: 1977

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 129-135
• Monograph Title: Skidding Accidents: Ancillary Papers
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 624
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arterial highways; Computer programs; Crashes; Data analysis; Freeways; Mathematical analysis; Parkways; Pavements; Rural highways; Skid resistance; Speed limits; Traffic volume; Wet weather
• Uncontrolled Terms: Wet pavements
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pavements; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00163945
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309025745
• Report/Paper Numbers: Proceeding, HS-021 395
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Oct 13 1977 12:00AM