Safety Effect of Smart Right-turn Design at Intersections

This article describes the development, implementation, and safety benefits of smart right-turns. The design consists of a narrow angle of channelization at approximately 70 degrees. A smart right-turn widens the cone of vision of the driver towards the pedestrians as well as the cross-traffic. Thus, smart right-turns allow for safer pedestrian crossing and also improve vehicle–vehicle interactions since the new approach angle affords drivers a better view of the traffic stream they are to merge with. As part of the Safety Improvement Program in the Austin Transportation Department, several smart right-turns were constructed at high crash intersections where high speed right-turns were found to be a contributing factor. This paper presents the state of the art techniques applied in planning, engineering, designing and construction of this smart right-turn, key factors driving the success, and lessons learned in the process. This paper focuses on the safety effect of smart right-turns at intersections and features significant crash reductions achieved from the application of smart right-turns using Empirical Bayes method. The result showed that smart right-turns can reduce overall right-turn crashes by 47 percent and severe right-turn crashes by 40 percent.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/614107147
• Authors:
  • Barua, Upal
• Publication Date: 2018-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 38-43
• Serial:
  • ITE Journal
  • Volume: 88
  • Issue Number: 11
  • Publisher: Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
  • ISSN: 0162-8178
  • Serial URL: https://www.ite.org/publications/ite-journal/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Channelized intersections; Highway design; Highway safety; Innovation; Intersections; Right turn lanes; Right turns
• Geographic Terms: Austin (Texas)
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01709544
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 28 2019 11:40AM