Safety Effectiveness Evaluation of Median Cable Barriers on Freeways in Ohio

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) began installing median cable barriers in 2003 along highway medians that are narrower than 59 ft. The aim of these barriers is to prevent cross-median crashes (CMC). These types of crashes occur when a vehicle leaves its travel way, enters or crosses the median dividing the highway directional lanes and collides with oncoming vehicles in the opposite direction. The goal of this student study is to evaluate safety effectiveness with respect to the reduction in the number of crashes, injury severities and fatalities, evaluate the impact of geometric features, traffic characteristics and environmental conditions to the safety performance of the cable barriers, and to develop crash modification factors (CMF) for median cable barriers specific for Ohio. Since cable barriers are much cheaper than the traditional concrete barriers, if found effective in their intended use, then they can become a preferred alternative in terms of reducing crash severity and cost.

• Record URL:
  http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Planning/SPR/Research/reportsandplans/Pages/Project_Details.aspx?View={D7C72556-2ABC-4830-BDFF-6C02603A792B}&FilterField1=State%5Fx0020%5FJob%5Fx0020%5F%5Fx0023%5F&FilterValue1=135502

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $39850
• Contract Numbers:

  30265

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Ohio Department of Transportation

  Research Program
  1980 West Broad Street
  Columbus, OH  United States  43223
• Project Managers:

  Lucas, Michelle

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Dayton

  Research Institute
  300 College Park Avenue
  Dayton, OH  United States  45469-0110
• Principal Investigators:

  Eustace, Deogratias

• Start Date: 20170901
• Expected Completion Date: 20190101
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cables; Crash severity; Fatalities; Freeways; Highway safety; Injury severity; Median barriers; Traffic crashes
• Identifier Terms: Ohio Department of Transportation
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01641940
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Ohio Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 30265
• Files: RiP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 26 2017 3:24PM