VEHICLE SPEED AND PLACEMENT SURVEY

SPEED AND PLACEMENT BY VEHICLE TYPE, MANEUVER, AND CONDITION WERE STUDIED ON 2-LANE RURAL HIGHWAYS, RURAL BRIDGES, AND PARTICULARLY THE EFFECTS ON TRAFFIC BEHAVIOR OF A VEHICLE STOPPED ON THE SHOULDER OF A FREEWAY OVERPASS. SPEED WAS APPARENTLY NOT A FACTOR IN THE ELEMENTS STUDIED. DRIVERS ARE APPARENTLY INFLUENCED IN THEIR LATERAL PLACEMENT MORE BY THE EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT THAN BY THE CENTERLINE OF THE ROAD. SHOULDER WIDTH DID NOT APPEAR TO AFFECT THE LATERAL PLACEMENT OF VEHICLES. THE TYPE OF SHOULDER HAD A DEFINITE EFFECT ON THE LATERAL PLACEMENT OF VEHICLES. THE HIGHER THE QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION, THE CLOSER TO THE SHOULDER TRAFFIC WILL DRIVE. LATERAL PLACEMENT APPEARS TO BE A FUNCTION OF LANE WIDTH. VEHICLE ENCROACHMENT ACROSS THE CENTERLINE AND ON THE SHOULDER IS A DEFINITE PROBLEM. BRIDGE WIDTH WAS FOUND TO HAVE A DEFINITE INFLUENCE ON LATERAL PLACEMENT OF VEHICLES. THE PRESENCE OF THE STOPPED VEHICLE ON THE 6-FOOT BRIDGE SHOULDER DID HAVE AN EFFECT ON TRAFFIC, BUT AS TRAFFIC VOLUMES INCREASED THE EFFECT DECREASED. THE PRESENCE OF THE VEHICLE DID NOT SERIOUSLY DECREASE THE CAPACITY OR NOTICEABLY IMPAIR THE SAFETY OF THE FACILITY. DIFFERENCES IN BEHAVIOR IN BOTH SPEED AND LATERAL PLACEMENT WERE DETECTED, WITH THE LATERAL PLACEMENT BEING MOST NOTICEABLY AFFECTED.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbbulletin/170/170-002.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 170, pp 24-50, 24 FIG, 4 TAB, 9 REF Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Shelby, M D
  • Tutt, P R
• Publication Date: 1958

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 27p
• Monograph Title: Traffic behavior as related to several highway design features
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Bulletin
  • Issue Number: 170
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Center lines; Highway bridges; Highway capacity; Highway safety; Lateral placement; Pavements; Right of way (Land); Road shoulders; Rural highways; Stopping; Traffic lanes; Traffic speed; Traffic surveys; Traffic volume; Two lane highways; Vehicles; Width
• Uncontrolled Terms: Edges; Stopped vehicles; Traffic studies
• Old TRIS Terms: Encroachments
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pavements; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222887
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 28 1994 12:00AM