ROADSIDE HAZARDS

IDENTIFICATION OF HAZARDS UNWITTINGLY BUILT INTO MANY HIGHWAYS IS DISCUSSED AND HOW THEY MAY BE CORRECTED OR PREVENTED ON FUTURE PROJECTS IS SUGGESTED. PUBLICATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE RESULTS ARE DIRECTED TOWARDS OVERCOMING THE APPARENT COMMUNICATIONS BARRIERS. THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR VISITED NINE NEWLY-OPENED INTERSTATE SYSTEM PROJECTS, ONE IN EACH FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION REGION. FOUR OF THE PROJECTS ARE RURAL IN NATURE, TWO ARE URBAN, AND THREE A MIXTURE OF URBAN AND RURAL. INFORMATION IS ASSEMBLED FROM FIELD VISITS TO EACH SITE. CONFERENCES WITH CONCERNED OFFICIALS, AND EXAMINATION OF DESIGN POLICIES AND PRACTICE IS DISCUSSED. ITEMS STUDIED ARE: GUARDRAILS, MEDIAN BARRIERS, STRUCTURES, SHOULDERS, CURBS, DRAINAGE FACILITIES, SIGNS AND SIGN SUPPORTS, LIGHTING STANDARDS, ENTRANCE AND EXIT POINTS, AND ROADSIDE SLOPES. ROADSIDE HAZARDS ARE COMPARATIVELY FREQUENT AND OFTEN UNNECESSARILY SEVERE IN THEIR EFFECTS. ROADWAY TO BRIDGE TRANSITIONS ARE ONE OF THE WEAKEST COMPONENTS, BUT PRIME EXAMPLES OF HAZARDS ARE FOUND IN DESIGNS OF GUARDRAILS, SIGNING, LIGHTING, SHOULDERS, CURBS, AND DRAINAGE FACILITIES. CONDITIONS ARE ILLUSTRATED IN THE REPORT, THEIR DEFICIENCIES ARE EXPLAINED, AND CORRECTIVE MEASURES ARE SUGGESTED. TEAM PLANNING AND BETTER COORDINATION BETWEEN HIGHWAY ORGANIZATION DIVISIONS (DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, TRAFFIC, AND MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL) ARE STRONGLY URGED. /SRIS/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 60 Pp, 63 FIG
• Corporate Authors:

  Department of Transportation

  /Office of Policy Planning
  ,   United States 
• Authors:
  • Blatnik, J A
  • Prisk, C W
• Publication Date: 1968

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Deficiencies; Frequency (Electromagnetism); Hazards; Highway departments; Highway planning; Identification systems; Injury severity; Prevention; Roadside; Test sections; Values in measurement
• Uncontrolled Terms: Correction (Mathematics); Identification; Severity; Site investigation
• Old TRIS Terms: Conditions; Test results
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00225842
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 26 1970 12:00AM