SPR-4853: Effective Shoulder Width on Rural Highway System Related to Roadway Departure Crashes

This study will evaluate the safety effect of shoulder width in rural areas under different road and traffic conditions to avoid unnecessary construction costs (too wide shoulders) and/or excessive road users costs (too narrow shoulder widths). Estimated Crash Modification Factors or Functions (CMFs) at three levels of crash severity will help develop a proper level of design depending on the road curvature and the character of the surrounding terrain. The average costs of offroad crashes under various traffic and road conditions will be estimated to be used in benefit-cost analyses.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $225775
• Contract Numbers:

  SPR-4853

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Purdue University/Indiana Department of Transportation JHRP

  Purdue University
  1284 Civil Engineering Building, Room 4154
  West Lafayette, IN  United States  47907-1284
• Principal Investigators:

  Tarko, Andrew

  Romero, Mario

  Thomaz, Jose

• Start Date: 20230815
• Expected Completion Date: 20251214
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Crash modification factors; Ran off road crashes; Road shoulders; Rural areas; Width
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01892139
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Indiana Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: SPR-4853
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Aug 31 2023 4:43PM