Bizarre & Off-the-Wall Solutions to Highway Safety

Tracie Leix, P.E.MDOT Safety Programs

County Engineer’s WorkshopFebruary 18, 2009

“Off-the-Wall”

Merriam-Webster says,

“odd, extravagant, or eccentric in style or mode”

We say, “unconventional” or “unusual”

Before Bizarre

• Common Countermeasures– Left & Right Turn Lanes– Guardrail Upgrades– Traffic Signal Upgrades– Cross Section Modifications– Culvert Replacement/Extension

• Usually in combination

UD-10 Narratives

“I was coming home and drove into the wrong house, and collided with a tree I didn’t

have.”

“I was sure the old fellow would never make it to the other side of the road when I struck

him.”

Turn Lanes

• Typically installed when vehicles have trouble making turns.

• Center Left TL– HD-LT 50%– RE-LT 80%

• Right TL– RE-RT 65%

• 8 projects

Offset Turn Lanes

• Provide a turn lane but…– offset it!

MichiganM-43 @ M-52

Demonstrating the Issue

How Others Offset: Iowa

Curb encourages good driver sight line

Offset Turn Lanes

• Offset Right Turn Lane– 65% for angle crashes

• Offset Left Turn Lane– Skewed intersections

Another Left Turn View

Narratives, Part II

“The telephone pole was approaching. I was attempting to swerve out of its way, when it

hit the front end.”

“I had been driving 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had a crash.”

Guardrail Upgrades

• 28 of the selected projects for 2009– 55% for fatal & A-

injury crashes• 5 projects involved

slope flattening– 15% for lane

departure crashes

Top 5 Items Struck

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

Hit Tree Hit Ditch Hit Guardrail Hit Utility Pole Hit Other Non-FixedObject

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2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Cable Barrier

• MDOT is using for freeway medians– 90% for fatalities & A-injuries

Narratives

“As I approached the intersection, a sign suddenly appeared in a place where no stop sign had ever appeared before. I was unable

to stop in time to avoid the accident.”

“To avoid hitting the bumper of the car in front, I struck the pedestrian.”

Traffic Signal Upgrades

• 19 Projects involve signal upgrades– Equipment upgrades– Increased lens size– LED lenses– 10% reduction

Backplates• With Reflective Strips

Prepare to Stop When Flashing

Concern:Drivers may mis-use the information, speeding up to “make” the signal

Purpose:To inform drivers to prepare for an upcoming change in the signal

Illinois

The Arguments…

Common Design Criteria:• 55 MPH

• Isolated or Unexpected Intersection

• Limited Sight Distance

Illinois

The Compromise…

Do the Signs Affect Driver Behavior?

MinnesotaRed Light Violations 29%

Truck Violations 63%

MarylandRight Angle Crashes 62%

Rear End Crashes 36%

Do the Sign Affect Crash Frequency?

Common use: MN, OH, KY, NV, NE, IL, NJ, MO, PA, VA, IA, IN, MD, CA, AK, MT, GA, UT, PR

US-23, KY

Signal Retiming

• Aims to reduce travel time, delay and frequency of stops (driver frustration)

• Reduces fuel consumption and emissions• MDOT assistance!!

– Jason Firman, P.E.– Congestion & Mobility– 517.636.0299– FirmanJ@michigan.gov

Have You Seen This?

Emergency Vehicle Preemption

“Michigan Firefighter Charged With Homicide,

Fire Truck Crash”

“Traverse City, Michigan Family Shattered by Crash”

3-11-2005

8-22-2005

Amusing UD-10s

The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.

Driver hit horse. Horse was lifted off of the ground, onto the hood and into the

windshield and then into the front seat with driver. There was horse manure all over the

driver.

The “Unfixables”

Animal Crashes

54000

56000

58000

60000

62000

64000

66000

68000

70000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

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Taking Safety Further

• Buffalo Grass!– Germinates later in

spring– Turns brown earlier

in fall

– Mt Pleasant TSC is piloting along M-115

– Highways for Life– Reduce Deer Crashes

Another “Animal” Treatment

• Agricultural area• Crop selection

– Plant low crops adjacent to roads– Taller crops beyond

Cross Section Changes

Before

Cross Section Changes

After

Icy Crashes

ICY Surface Condition

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5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

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Targeting Icy Crashes

Striking the Cable

Color Changing Markings

• Under Development in France– Durability issues

• Change from white to pink– When road reaches freezing

• Possible MDOT pilot when ready?

Training/Education

What Elected Officials Need to Know About Traffic Safety

(And What YOUR Constituents Expect YOU to Know!)

2009 Traffic Safety Summit

• MDOT to provide 100% reimbursement– 1 employee/ county or select cities– CRAM listserve– Contact MDOT to notify you’ll be going

• Tracie Leix, P.E.• 517.373.8950

Local Safety Initiative

• Tripod approach to assisting local agencies– Direct traffic engineering services– Improvements to RoadSoft– Training (Teach a man to fish…)

• Voluntary & Free• Contact:

– Tracie Leix, LeixT@michigan.gov– 517.373.8950

A formal safety performance examinationof an existing or future road or

intersection by an independent, multi-disciplinary RSA team.

Road Safety Audits

Questions:Ron Emery517.373.0627

Upcoming Research

• Road Diets– 4-lane to 3-lane conversions– A new look

• Have any?• Want them to be included?• No cost!

In Your Kids Spare Time

• Alternative forms of marketing– Myspace– Facebook– Twitter– Others?

One More…

“Struck a stray chicken that made an attempt to cross the highway….It is still unknown why the chicken crossed the

road.”

Questions?