Guidance For The Design And Application Of Shoulder And Centerline Rumble Strips

This report provides guidance for the design and application of shoulder and centerline rumble strips as an effective crash reduction measure, while minimizing adverse effects for motorcyclists, bicyclists, and nearby residents. Using the results of previous studies and the research conducted under this project, safety effectiveness estimates were developed for shoulder rumble strips on rural freeways and rural two-lane roads and for centerline rumble strips on rural and urban two-lane roads.

NCHRP report 600 explores human factors principles and findings for consideration by highway designers and traffic engineers. The report is designed to help the nonexpert in human factors to consider more effectively the roadway user's capabilities and limitations in the design and operation of highway facilities.

Following the wide and successful use of continuous shoulder rumble strips, many state departments of transportations (DOTs) installed centerline rumble strips (CLRS) on rural two-lane and undivided multilane highways in an effort to reduce cross-over-the-centerline (COCL) crashes. COCL crashes include head-on, sideswipe opposite direction, fixed object run-off-the-road left, and non-collision. The purpose of this research was to develop guidelines for using CLRS in Virginia based on a review of best practices and the analysis of Virginia COCL crash data from 2001 through 2003. The analysis procedures included data query and analyses of crash frequency, density, and rate. Areas and route locations with the highest COCL crashes and densities were identified as potential candidate sites for CLRS. As of 2003, 24 state DOTs and two Canadian provinces were using CLRS. They are generally installed on a case-by-case basis. CLRS design patterns vary greatly among states, but the most commonly used types are continuous grooves 12 to 16 inches in length, 6 to 7 inches in width, and 0.5 inch in depth spaced 12 or 24 inches apart. The optimal CLRS patterns remain unknown. Data analyses revealed that the distribution of COCL crashes in Virginia varied significantly with roadway system, road type, jurisdictional area, and road location. The statewide COCL crash densities were 0.13 and 0.71 crash per mile for secondary and primary roads, respectively. Fixed object run-off-the-road left was the predominant type of COCL crash followed by sideswipe opposite direction and head-on for undivided roads. The crash density of the primary system was 4.5 times higher than that of the secondary system. Guidelines were developed that outline the application of CLRS, design dimensions, installation and maintenance, and other issues. The authors recommend that the Virginia Department of Transportation's Traffic Engineering Division implement the guidelines as a division memorandum. Although a benefit-cost ratio for this recommendation will vary with each site, a sample estimated benefit-cost ratio was at least 7.6 per mile.

TRB¿s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 617: Accident Modification Factors for Traffic Engineering and ITS Improvements explores the development of accident modification factors (AMFs) for traffic engineering and intelligent transportation system improvements. AMFs, also known as crash reduction factors, are designed to provide a simple and quick way of estimating the safety impacts of various types of engineering improvements, encompassing the areas of signing, alignment, channelization, and other traffic engineering solutions.

"TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 756: Highway Safety Research Agenda: Infrastructure and Operations develops a proposed agenda of prioritized safety research needs in the area of highway infrastructure and operations. The report provides options to the U.S. transportation community on how to direct research to the areas where it can provide the most benefit. The agenda is based on a prioritization methodology developed by the research team which can be applied on a recurring basis to update the agenda over time. Both the agenda and the methodology documented in this report will assist government officials, private sector employees, and academics with managing highway safety research. In addition to the report, 16 unpublished appendices (Appendices A-O and R) have been made available electronically."--Publisher description.