SMALL CAR INTERACTIONS WITH ROADSIDE BARRIERS -- FINAL REPORT -- VOLUME 1 - ENGINEERING EVALUATION -- VOLUME 2 - STATISTICAL EVALUATION

Volume 1 -- A detailed statistical analysis of Texas roadside barrier accidents in comparison with another state which uses the nationally accepted guard fence standard was conducted. The object of the statistical evaluation of accident data was to identify any deficiencies in the Texas guard fence design for small cars. No practical difference in the performance of the Texas guard fence when compared with the national standard design of another state were found. Snagging on the unblocked out system used in Texas was not an obvious problem, based on the data set. The w-beam barrier redirects about 60 percent of the impacting vehicles. Volume 2 -- A detailed statistical analysis of Texas roadside barrier accidents in comparison with another state which uses the nationally accepted guard fence standard was conducted. Snagging on the unblocked out system used in Texas was not an obvious problem based on this data set, although vehicles under 2500 pounds in curb weight did have 9 percentage points greater probability of rollover. The w-beam barrier redirects about 65 percent of the impacting vehicles and the expected increased severity with decreasing vehicle curb weight upon impact with a concrete safety shape could not be tested due to the very small number of concrete safety shape impacts in the Texas data set. (Author)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Research performed in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration. Research Study Title: Small Car Interaction With Highway Barriers.
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
  Arlington, TX  United States  76011

  Texas State Department of Highways & Public Transportation

  Transportation Planning Division, P.O. Box 5051
  Austin, TX  United States  78763

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Woods, D L
  • Pendleton, O
  • von Tress, M
• Publication Date: 1986-3

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 66 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barriers (Roads); Compact automobiles; Design standards; Probability; Roadside; Rollover crashes; Statistical analysis
• Uncontrolled Terms: Barriers; Interaction; Probabilistic analysis
• Old TRIS Terms: Small car
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00457811
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWATX86-31+3331F-V1, FHWATX86-31+3331F-V2
• Contract Numbers: Study 2-18-84-333
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Aug 31 1986 12:00AM