Ahead of the Curve

Safer roads aren’t just about safer vehicles, says Roger Wentz, American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA).

“Making America's roadways safer is an attainable goal - and in many cases is extremely affordable”
-Roger Wentz

The automobile industry builds safer vehicles today than in any time in the past in order to help save lives. We have had success with airbags, seatbelts and ABS – but rarely do we hear of the lifesavers that we pass every day on our way to school, to work, or as we travel on vacation.

These 'unsung heroes' are roadway safety devices. They are bright, reflective pavement markings and road signs, work zone traffic control devices, guardrails, cable barriers, rumble strips and a host of other roadside safety hardware. Recognition for the success these lifesaving features – similar to the recognition gained over the years by in-vehicle safety features – recently came from the top.

Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez blogged, "Though America's highway network is serving more drivers now than at any other time, our roads are the safest they've ever been. Some credit must go to the auto industry, which has made great advances in automotive safety, but road design and safety hardware are equally responsible. Better use of guardrails and cable median barriers and more subtle improvements like brighter signs and pavement markings also contribute to a safer roadway."

Making America's roadways safer is an attainable goal – and in many cases is extremely affordable. For example, lane departure fatalities at curves represent 30 percent or greater of total state highway fatalities in 22 states. In another 17 states, 20-30 percent of all fatal crashes occur at curves.

These dangerous roadway curves can be effectively 'treated for safety' at a low-cost, to reduce crashes by up-to 20 percent immediately. The fix is something as simple as high-visibility curve chevron signs. The cost for such a safety improvement is a surprisingly affordable $2000.

Other low-cost safety improvements include wider roadway edge lines, raised pavement markings, edge line and centerline rumble strips, post-mounted delineators – and others that are contained in a quick-reference Low Cost Local Road Safety Solutions booklet, released by ATSSA and the National Association of County Engineers.

If you don't know where to begin, your first step in making roadways safer could be an audit. The Federal Highway Administration's Road Safety Audits Program is a formal safety performance examination of existing or future roads or intersections. The audit is conducted by a local independent, multidisciplinary team.

The Illinois DOT used Roadway Safety Audits to evaluate safety risks for identified locations of high crash severity, potential changes to intersections, and to help a local agency evaluate its safety risks for application for Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding. Engineering improvements included corridor improvements on the interstate system with milled rumble strips, cable guardrail, shielding piers and upgraded guardrail, and a curve delineation and improvement project that addressed severe crashes on curves located on local roads in four counties.

Louisiana obtained funds for 47 eligible Local Road Safety Program projects that included signage, a variable message board, data management and safety data collection, pavement marking and striping, rumble strips, sign signal inventory, access management plan, roadwork and sidewalk construction, roundabout construction, equipment upgrades and guardrail projects.

One of Rhode Island's initiatives was the installation of guardrail on undivided highways with narrow medians throughout the state, and several states are now reporting an upper-90 percentile decline in fatalities and crossover mishaps following the installation of cable median barrier. There are countless other roadway safety improvement examples across the country.

According to the US-DOT, "Each State's apportionment of HSIP funds is subject to a set-aside for construction and operational improvements on high-risk rural roads." That set-aside totals $90 million nationally. The US-DOT reports, "If a State certifies that it has met all its needs relating to construction and operational improvements on high-risk rural roads, it may use those funds for any safety improvement project eligible under the HSIP." That equates to a lot of roadway safety, standing by to be implemented.

Roger Wentz is President and CEO of the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA). For more information go to www.atssa.com.