Roadway Safety Guide

Introduc tion (Italics signify a graphic, table, sidebar, or text box) Preface ................................................................................................................................................................................... IV Introduction Why is Roadway Safety Important to Me? ........................................................................................................................1 Fatalities by Fixed Object Struck .................................................................................................................................... 2 The Highway Safety Improvement Program and the "Safe System" Approach ................................................... 2 Getting Started… ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 1 – A Primer on Roadway Safety So Where Do You Begin? What are You Aiming For? .................................................................................................. 6 Step 1: Understanding Safe vs. Hazardous Roadway Conditions ............................................................................ 6 So What Makes a Road Safe? .......................................................................................................................................... 6 Seven Principal Safety Concerns ....................................................................................................................................7 Step 2: Identifying Roadway Trouble Spots – Checklist ............................................................................................ 9 Step 3: Learning about Current Thinking on Roadway Safety Countermeasures ............................................ 12 Step 4: Work with Your Local, State, and Regional Highway Engineers .............................................................. 12 Box 1.1 - Sample Local News Clip ............................................................................................................................... 13 Functions and Agencies Responsible for Different Types of Roads ...................................................................... 13 Box 1.2 - Who is Responsible for Our Highways? ................................................................................................... 13 Potential Contacts to Help Identify those Responsible for Community Roads ................................................ 14 On the Local Level ........................................................................................................................................................... 14 On the State Level ........................................................................................................................................................... 15 On the Federal Level ....................................................................................................................................................... 15 How Do Highway Engineers Decide which Road Safety Problems Deserve Attention First? ....................... 16 What Highway Engineers Do ............................................................................................................................................. 16 Box 1.3 - Formal Process for Completing an RSA ....................................................................................................17 Box 1.4 - Diagram for an Intersection ......................................................................................................................... 18 Box 1.5 - Field Observation Report for Intersections ............................................................................................. 18 Box 1.6 - Crash Pattern Tables ......................................................................................................................................20 Chapter 2- Ideas to Draw From: Case Studies & Best Practices Roadway Departure Hazards ............................................................................................................................................. 22 Box 2.1: Crash Reduction Factors ............................................................................................................................... 22 Centerline Rumble Strips in Arkansas ......................................................................................................................... 23 The Midwest Guardrail System ..................................................................................................................................... 23 Road Surface Conditions .................................................................................................................................................... 24 Iowa Municipalities Protect Lives, Local Economies .............................................................................................. 24 High Friction Surface Treatments on Curves Saving Lives in Pennsylvania and Kentucky ........................... 25 Narrow Roadways and Bridges .........................................................................................................................................26 Box 2.2 - Three Strategies for Improving Bridges ................................................................................................... 27 Vasco Road Improvements in California ................................................................................................................... 27 Railroad Crossings ................................................................................................................................................................ 27 North Carolina's Sealed Corridor Program ..............................................................................................................28 I TABLE OF CONTENTS

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