ROLE OF HIGHWAY SHOULDERS IN TRAFFIC OPERATION

THE EFFECT OF THE SHOULDERS ON TRAFFIC OPERATION ARE EVALUATED. RESEARCH WAS DIVIDED INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: (1) EFFECT OF SHOULDER WIDTH AND TYPE ON TRAFFIC WHEN THE SHOULDER IS NOT OCCUPIED BY PARKED VEHICLES OR OTHER OBJECTS, (2) EFFECT OF SHOULDER WIDTH AND TYPE ON TRAFFIC WHEN THE SHOULDER IS OCCUPIED BY PARKED VEHICLES OR OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS SUCH AS PARAPET WALLS, BRIDGE PIERS AND ABUTMENTS, UTILITY POLES AND GUARDRAILS, (3) EXTENT OF SHOULDER USED BY PARKED VEHICLES, AND (4) RELATION BETWEEN SHOULDER WIDTH AND TYPE AND MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS. RESEARCH COMPLETED SHOWS THAT: (1) SPEEDS AND LATERAL POSITIONS OF MOVING VEHICLES ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THE WIDTH OF SHOULDER, PROVIDED THE SHOULDER IS CLEAR AND AT LEAST SIX FEET WIDE, (2) DRIVER BEHAVIOR STUDIES SHOW THAT TRAFFIC IS NOT SUBSTANTIALLY INFLUENCED BY VEHICLES PARKED ON THE SHOULDER OR OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS SUCH AS PARAPET WALLS AND BRIDGE PIERS, (3) THE WIDTH OF THE SHOULDER IS IMPORTANT ON NARROW PAVEMENTS BECAUSE AN INDISCRIMINATELY PARKED VEHICLE CAN CAUSE SEVERE LATERAL SHIFT IN THE VEHICLES TRAVELLING IN THE LANE ADJACENT TO THE SHOULDER, AND (4) RELATIONSHIP STUDIES BETWEEN HIGHWAY SHOULDERS AND MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS INDICATE THAT WITH GRAVEL SHOULDERS PROPERTY DAMAGE ACCIDENTS VARY INVERSELY WITH SHOULDER WIDTH.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbbulletin/151/151-012.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 151, pp 23-24 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:
  • Taragin, A
• Publication Date: 1957

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 2p
• Monograph Title: Symposium on Highway Shoulders
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Bulletin
  • Issue Number: 151
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Drivers; Gravel; Highway operations; Loss and damage; Parking; Property; Road shoulders; Single vehicle crashes; Traffic; Traffic crashes; Width
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fixed object; Motor vehicle accidents; Parked vehicles; Property damage
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00225477
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jul 7 1994 12:00AM