Cost Effective Approaches to Improving Highway Safety Thomas M. Welch State Safety Engineer Office of Traffic & Safety Iowa DOT April 2005

2 WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION 1.2 million people will die as a result of road crashes this year – more than 3200 deaths each day ROAD SAFETY IS NO ACCIDENT

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4 1 Murder every 7.9 days 1 Aggravated Assault every 87 minutes 1 Violent Crime every 70 minutes 1 Property Crime every 6 minutes 1 Crime every 5.5 minutes 1 Fatality every 19 hours 1 Injury every 15 minutes 1 Property Damage every 10 minutes 1 Crash every 8 minutes Iowa Crime Crash Clock (2000 data)

5 United Kingdom7.5 Netherlands 7.6 Sweden 8.3 Norway 8.3 Switzerland 8.4 Finland 8.5 Australia 9.0 Denmark 9.2 Canada 9.3 Germany 11.1 Global Safety Comparisons (Fatality Rate – 2002 data - deaths/1B kmVT) (Source: IRTAD 2004) Top 11 shown without the United States. Where do we rank?

6 Global Safety Comparisons (Fatality Rate – 2002 data - deaths/1B kmVT) United Kingdom7.5 Netherlands7.6 Sweden 8.3 Norway 8.3 Switzerland 8.4 Finland 8.5 Australia 9.0 Denmark 9.2 Canada 9.3 USA 9.4 Germany th (Source: IRTAD 2004)

7 The Problem - Today US Highway deaths have remained relatively constant– 42,643 (2003) 43,005 (2002) and… The fatality rate is unacceptably high: 1.48 deaths per 100 million VMT Jack Trice Stadium – Ames, IA

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9 Treatments Must Be Effective and Cost Effective

10 Iowa DOT’s Safety Investment Focus Emphasis on Reducing Fatal and Major Injury Crashes

*2004 Preliminary Iowa Crash Deaths Associated with Key Areas

12 Iowa Seatbelt Usage  86% Seat Belt Usage  The 14% Unbelted represent ~55% of Iowa’s Fatalities

13 Iowa’s Roadway-Related Fatal Crashes 52% of Iowa’s fatalities are related to Lane Departure 39% of Iowa’s fatal crashes are single-vehicle ROR (Run-Off-Road)

14 Safety Investment Strategy  Candidate Safety Projects Paved shoulders Milled in shoulder rumble strips 2-lane shoulder widening High severity crash 2-lane roads High crash curves Centerline rumble strips Cross-median head-on crashes High severity crash intersections Expressway intersections 7 of 9 address ROR crashes

15 Statewide curve average = 1.1 crashes / MVM Top 30 average = 11.7 crashes / MVM Worst Curve = 78 crashes / MVM 5% of crashes occur at top 30 locations (1% of curves) 11% of fatal crashes occur at top 30 locations Primary Highway High-Crash Curves

16 Curve Improvements  Improve superelevation  Pave shoulders  Add shoulder rumble strips  Flatten foreslopes  Remove fixed objects  Delineate with chevrons / pavement markings  Ball bank advisory speed

17 Bigger and Brighter Curve and Chevron Signs US 6, Johnson County

18 Bigger and Brighter Curve and Chevron Signs

19 Inside Curve Paved Shoulder with Rumble Strip

20 Outside Curve Paved Shoulder with Rumble

21 Advanced Curve Warning Initiative Pennsylvania DOT

22 Rumble Warning Panel in Advance of Curve US 18, Palo Alto County

23 No Shoulders, Steep Slopes

24 Shoulder Drop-off “Edge Rut”

25 Two Feet Paved Shoulder, Flat (6:1) Foreslope

26 Paved Shoulders New Iowa DOT Policy: 4 Feet Paved Shoulders (6 ft shoulders shown)

27 Rolled-in Shoulder Rumble Strips

28 Photos: Pennsylvania DOT Milled-in Shoulder Rumble Strips

29 Paint in Milled Rumble Strip I-75 Michigan

30 Normal Edgeline Rumble Edgeline Comparison of painted edgeline in Rain Paint in Milled Rumble Strip Photo: Michigan DOT

31 Milled Centerline Rumble Strips 2 Milled 4 ft spacings

Minnesota: Centerline Rumble Strips MN State Rte 23, 2-lane St. Cloud to Willmar 50 miles Installed 2000

33 Night Performance of Pavement Markings Photos courtesy of 3M

34 Pavement Markings Material Cost / mile (4-inch solid line) Life Water-based$ mos. – 2 yrs High-build Water Borne $ 6302 – 3 yrs Epoxy, Polyurea $ 3,1003 – 4 yrs Milled-in Tape$ 15,8004 – 7 yrs Milled-in Tape Water-based paint NEW

35 Florida 6-inch Markings and Raised Pavement Markings (RPMs)

36 Brighter Signs & Pavement Markings Iowa Hwy 76 Clayton Co.

37 Brighter Signs & Pavement Markings I-35 Ankeny

38 BEFORE AFTER Utility Pole Relocation / Consolidation Pennsylvania DOT Digitally Enhanced Photographs

39 Utility Pole Delineation

40 Clear Zone: Guys & Push Poles  Watch clear zone encroachment  Mark guy wires for snowmobiles  Breakaway guy wires

41 BEFORE AFTER Tree Removal Pennsylvania DOT Digitally Enhanced Photographs

42 BEFOREAFTER Slope Flattening & Day Lighting Pennsylvania DOT Digitally Enhanced Photographs

43 Daylight: Intersections, Drives  Vegetation: crops, bushes  Cut or fill problem  Signs & poles

44 Culverts  Consider Drop Inlets

45 Mailboxes  Replace with breakaway posts and well-fastened boxes

46 Cross Slopes (Transverse)  Flatten to avoid impacts or ramping  Remove or grate pipe hazards

47 Rip Rap  Foreslope and toe: maximum 4 inch  Backslope: any size?  Do not create a wall

48 Skid Resistance Friction Program

49 Median Cable (Brifen)  Successful in Oklahoma City  Successful on I-35 near Ankeny  Easy to maintain and replace

50 Use More Traditional Cable I-80 Western Iowa

51 Larger Stop Sign

52 Flag on Stop Ahead Sign

53 Flags on Stop Sign

54 Flashing Beacon on Stop Sign

Advance Stop Sign Rumble Strip

56 Sign Replacement & Maintenance

57 Flashing Overhead Beacons (NOT effective)

58 Large Advance Street Name Sign

59 Larger Street Name Signs

60 Larger Street Name Sign

61 Florida Advance Lane Assignments Florida Department of Transportation

62 Delineate Median Storage

63 Advisory Speed with Beacon US 65, Bondurant

Protected Left-turn Arrow Offset Left-turn Lanes for Better Visibility

65 Offset Right-turn Lane

66 Off-Set Right-Turn Lanes

67 More and Longer Rural Turn Lanes US 30 & S 27, Story County

68 Safety Dikes (Escape Ramps)  Opposite all “T” intersections  Free of fixed objects

69 Signals  Back plates  Add mast arms  Add far right side heads  Head for each lane  Detector location and operation  Combination poles  Replace 8 inch lenses with 12 inch  Mill/patch affect detectors  Pedestrian signal/buttons

70 Michigan - RIDP  At intersections where 12 inch signals replaced 8 inch signals: 26% reduction in total crashes 46% reduction in injuries 63% reduction in angle crashes

71 Roundabouts University Place, Washington

72 Roundabout Conflict Points 9 Conflicts 6 Major 32 Conflicts 24 Major 8 Conflicts 4 Major

73 Driver Safety Corridors

74 Sioux Center, Iowa 4-lane undivided to 3-lane BEFORE AFTER

75 5-Lane / 3-Lane with Parking University Ave., Des Moines

76 Pedestrian Advisory Signing

77 Low-Cost Intersection Gap Warning System Pennsylvania DOT Digitally Enhanced Photograph

78 Tailgating Treatment Pennsylvania DOT Digitally Enhanced Photograph

79 “Sometimes the best public works project is the concrete you don’t pour.” - Steve Porter Missouri DOT

80 Return on Investment? Iowa Highway Fatalities Five Year Average   * 421* Preliminary *

Charles (Tony) Aiken, FHWA, 2004 Traffic Records Forum

Cost Effective Approaches to Improving Highway Safety Thomas M. Welch State Safety Engineer Office of Traffic & Safety Iowa DOT April 2005