DESIGNING SAFER EXIT GORE AREAS

ERRATIC MANEUVERS OCCUR WITH ALARMING FREQUENCY AT MANY FREEWAY EXIT GORE AREAS. THESE UNUSUAL AND UNDESIRABLE MANEUVERS, SUCH AS BACKING UP, DOUBLE LANE CHANGES, AND SUDDEN SLOWING ARE HAZARDOUS. THE PROJECT DESCRIBED IN THIS PAPER ADDRESSED ITSELF TO ANSWERING THREE QUESTIONS: WHY DO ERRATIC MANEUVERS OCCUR? WHAT TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES CAN BE USED TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM AT EXISTING SITES? AND, WHAT NEW DESIGN AND TRAFFIC CONTROL CRITERIA CAN BE APPLIED TO MINIMIZE ERRATIC MANEUVERS AT FUTURE SITES? IN-DEPTH FIELD INVESTIGATIONS WERE CONDUCTED AT NINE EXIT SITES INCORPORATING DIFFERENT GEOMETRIC FEATURES. ERRATIC MANEUVERS WERE OBSERVED OVER A THREE-DAY PERIOD, AND A SAMPLE OF THOSE MOTORISTS WHO HAD MADE ERRATIC MANEUVERS WAS INTERVIEWED AT THE SITES? REMEDIAL TREATMENTS WERE APPLIED AND EVALUATED USING A BEFORE AND AFTER ANALYSIS OF ERRATIC MANEUVERS. ERRATIC MANEUVERS WERE FOUND TO BE CAUSED BY AN ASSORTMENT OF FACTORS WHICH CAN BE CLASSIFIED UNDER THREE BROAD CATEGORIES: DRIVER RELATED PROBLEMS (E.G., BREAKDOWN IN DRIVER DECISION-MAKING PROCESS), INFORMATION DEFECIENCIES AND GEOMETRIC DEFICIENCIES. CASE STUDY RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE RATES OF ERRATIC MANEUVERS CAN BE REDUCED BY THE APPLICATION OF STANDARD TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES. IN MOST CASES, HIGHWAY INFORMATION VIA SIGNING AND DELINEATION WAS MODIFIED SO THAT IT WAS IN A FORM MORE USEABLE TO THE DRIVER. RECOMMENDATIONS WERE DEVELOPED CONCERNING CHANGES IN TRAFFIC CONTROL MEASURES AND HIGHWAY DESIGN CRITERIA. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE APPLICATIONS AND FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY WILL LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN THE RATES OF OCCURRENCE OF ERRATIC MANEUVERS AT EXISTING AND FUTURE EXIT GORE AREAS. /AUTHOR/

• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Traffic Engineers

  2029 K Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20006
• Authors:
  • Taylor, J I
  • Mc, GEE HW
• Publication Date: 1972-9

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 62-8
• Serial:
  • Institute of Traffic Engineers, Proceedings

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Before and after studies; Behavior; Design; Drivers; Geometric design; Gore area; Highway delineators; Interchange ramps; Off ramps; Problem drivers; Reckless drivers; Signs
• Old TRIS Terms: Delineators (Traffic); Erratic driving behavior; Freeway ramps; Gore
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226554
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 17 1973 12:00AM