SAFETY RESTORATION DURING SNOW REMOVAL - GUIDELINES. FINAL REPORT

Significant manpower and financial resources are expended annually by State, County, and Municipal governments on snow and ice control programs. This research addressed the hazards associated with nonfunctioning highway safety features that occur with snow removal operations during both emergency and post-snowstorm cleanup, and how these hazards can be remedied. A review of available literature and a limited analysis of winter accident data revealed 17 snow-related safety hazards. These were given a priority ranking and grouped into four categories: most serious, serious, important, and special. Most serious hazards include superelevated and sharp curves; bridge parapets, rails, and curbed areas; plows and other snow removal equipment; and intersections and interchanges. Hazards ranked serious are addressed after most serious hazards. Serious hazards include guardrails; snow plow equipment; stalled and abandoned vehicles; narrow medians, shoulders, and gore areas; and safety-shaped barriers. Important hazards receive attention during post-snowstorm cleanup operations, but no immediate attention except where an obvious problem exists. Important hazards include drains, culverts, and channels; snow or ice windrows; shallow cut areas; at-grade railroad crossings; pavement obstructions; obscured highway signs; and impact attenuators. Truck escape ramps are a special hazard in mountainous areas. Remedies to the hazards presented were confined to practices, procedures, equipment, and manpower resources available to State highway agencies. The most important recommendation from the study is that the order of cleanup during emergency snow removal operations and post-snowstorm removal operations should follow a priority ranking based on the hazards that exist.

• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/74760
• Corporate Authors:

  Graham-Migletz Enterprises, Incorporated

  P.O. Box 16508
  Raytown, MO  United States  64133

  Federal Highway Administration

  Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, 6300 Georgetown Pike
  McLean, VA  United States  22101
• Authors:
  • Migletz, M
  • Graham, Jerry L
  • Blackburn, R R
• Publication Date: 1990-2

Media Info

• Pagination: 109 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Hazards; Ratings; Recommendations; Safety; Snow and ice control; Snow removal; Strategic planning
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I62: Winter Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00495668
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-TS-90-036, FCP 37A4178, 3E9f0013
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 31 1990 12:00AM