CHARACTERISTICS OF AND POTENTIAL TREATMENTS FOR CRASHES ON LOW-VOLUME, RURAL TWO-LANE HIGHWAYS IN TEXAS

Low-volume, rural two-lane highways carry less than 8% of the total vehicle miles on state-maintained (or on-system) highways and have approximately 11% of the total on-system vehicle crashes. These roadways also have relatively more severe injuries when vehicle crashes do occur. For example in 1999, about 26% of the Texas on-system crashes were KAB crashes (i.e., fatal, incapacitating injury, on non-incapacitating injury crashes), while over 40% of the crashes on low-volume on-system roads in 1999 were KAB crashes. In general, crashes on low-volume, rural two-lane highways occur between intersections by a single vehicle running off the road. Crashes on curves and in dark, non-lighted conditions are more common on low-volume, rural two-lane highways than on urban roads. The study in crash characteristics also demonstrated that more KAB crashes occurred in eastern counties than western counties in Texas. A sample of counties was selected to investigate which regional characteristics are associated with high and low crash rates. In general, sites in the eastern counties had less driver-friendly characteristics--more horizontal and vertical curves, narrower lanes and/or shoulders, less forgiving roadside development, higher access density, and higher roadside development scores. Eastern counties also had more crashes at intersections than western counties. To obtain information about the types of treatments being used on these types of facilities, a mailout survey was distributed to the Texas Department of Transportation districts and to other states. A literature review was conducted to identify the known effectiveness of treatments used on rural two-lane highways.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Research Project Title: Low-Cost Design Safety Improvements for Rural Highways.
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

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

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Research and Technology Implementation Office, P.O. Box 5080
  Austin, TX  United States  78763-5080

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Fitzpatrick, K
  • Parham, A H
  • Brewer, M A
  • Miaou, S-P
• Publication Date: 2001-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 242 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Countermeasures; Crash characteristics; Crash rates; Highway curves; Injury severity; Literature reviews; Low volume roads; Nighttime crashes; Rural highways; Single vehicle crashes; Surveys; Two lane highways
• Geographic Terms: Texas
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00941307
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-02/4048-1,, Research Project 4048-1,, TTI: 0-4048
• Contract Numbers: Project No. 0-4048
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 9 2003 12:00AM