PAVEMENT GROOVING ON HIGHWAYS

SEVERAL YEARS AGO CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS ACCIDENT ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT SOME SECTIONS OF CONCRETE HIGHWAYS, ESPECIALLY ON CURVES, WERE HAVING AN UNUSUAL NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS DURING RAINY WEATHER. PAVEMENT GROOVING WAS APPLIED TO THE SURFACE OF THE ROADWAY IN AN ATTEMPT TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF WET-PAVEMENT ACCIDENTS. BEFORE-AND-AFTER ACCIDENT STUDIES OF GROOVED AREAS HAVE CLEARLY SHOWN THE BENEFIT OF PAVEMENT GROOVING TO THE MOTORIST. THE ACCIDENT DATA FOR 1964-1965 (BEFORE GROOVES) WAS 55 WET ACCIDENTS; THE DATA FOR 1966-1967 (AFTER GROOVES) WAS 2 WET ACCIDENTS. THE LONGITUDINAL GROOVES ACT AS "TRACKS," RESISTING LATERAL MOVEMENT AND STABILIZING THE VEHICLE. THEY ALSO SERVE AS QUICK SURFACE DRAINS TO MINIMIZE ANY WATER BUILDUP ON THE PAVEMENT.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • pp 411-424, 9 FIG, 2 REF
• Corporate Authors:

  Pavement Grooving and Traction Studies

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Farnsworth, E E
• Publication Date: 1968-11-18

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concrete pavements; Crash rates; Highways; Moisture content; Pavement grooving; Pavements; Prevention; Safety; Surface course (Pavements); Surface drainage; Texture; Traction; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Wet conditions
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pavements; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00207047
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 19 1970 12:00AM