Safe geometric design for minicars

Because minicars are less safe in both multivehicle and single vehicle collisions, this FHWA sponsored project is designed to identify those types of accidents (and accident related circumstances) where the small vehicles are over represented in either crashes or crash injuries. The analysis involved accident and roadway data from the States of Washington, Texas and North Carolina, and computer simulation runs related to vehicle dynamics. Results include the general finding of increased rollover propensity of these small vehicles in almost all type crashes, with specific problems with roadside shoulder and sideslope design, ditches in rural areas, pavement edgedrop, culverts and catch basins, median barrier faces, rural traffic islands, utility poles, and with head on collisions on curves where the minicar is more often the striking vehicle. Potential treatments were identified for many of these issues, and research plans were prepared (A).

  • Corporate Authors:

    University of North Carolina. Highway Safety Research Center

    Chapel Hill, North Carolina  United States 
  • Authors:
    • Council, F M
    • Reinfurt, D W
    • Knoblauch, R N
    • Stewart, J R
    • McHenry, B G
  • Publication Date: 1988-12

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Pagination: 251p

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01415116
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: ARRB
  • Files: ITRD, ATRI
  • Created Date: Aug 24 2012 4:23AM