Overview of Safety Countermeasures FOR Roadway Departure Crashes

A roadway departure (RwD) crash is defined by the Federal Highway Administration as a crash in which a vehicle crosses an edge line, a centerline, or otherwise leaves the traveled way. These crashes, comprised of run-off-road (ROR) and cross-median/cross-centerline head-on collisions, tend to be mor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inITE journal Vol. 86; no. 2; p. 39
Main Authors Jalayer, Mohammad, Zhou, Huaguo
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington Institute of Transportation Engineers 01.02.2016
Subjects
Accident prevention
Automobile drivers
Fatalities
Friction
Roads & highways
Signs
Traffic accidents & safety
Transportation planning
Travel
Vehicles
United States > US
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Summary:A roadway departure (RwD) crash is defined by the Federal Highway Administration as a crash in which a vehicle crosses an edge line, a centerline, or otherwise leaves the traveled way. These crashes, comprised of run-off-road (ROR) and cross-median/cross-centerline head-on collisions, tend to be more severe than other crash types. The reasons for ROR events are varied and include the driver attempting to avoid a vehicle, an object, or an animal in the travel lane; inattentive driving due to distraction, fatigue, sleep, or drugs; the effect of weather on pavement conditions; and traveling too fast through a curve or down a grade. This paper intends to provide a brief overview of a series of cost-effective improvements as an easy-to-read resource for preventing vehicle departures from roadways. This article summarizes a recent publication by the American Traffic Safety Services Association that can help transportation agencies better understand the effectiveness of each RwD safety countermeasure and prioritize the implementation of countermeasures.
ISSN:0162-8178