Method for Using ISPEs in Crash-Testing Protocols

In-service performance evaluations (ISPEs) of roadside safety features have been recommended for over 40 years. Michie recommended ISPEs for crash-test and evaluation procedures in NCHRP Report 230: Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Appurtenances, published in 1981. The importance of and need for ISPEs was reiterated by Ross et al. in NCHRP Report 350: Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features and by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). The ISPE criteria were finalized in NCHRP Research Report 1010: In-Service Performance Evaluation: Guidelines for the Assembly and Analysis of Data. These reports outline the potential use of ISPEs into establish crashworthiness without crash tests. Although it has been established that ISPE studies could help state departments of transportation (DOTs) to establish crashworthiness without having to conduct many crash tests, additional investigation on how ISPE data can be used to determine roadside safety hardware crashworthiness in lieu of crash tests would be helpful. Research is needed to incorporate ISPE data into crash-testing and evaluation protocols for roadside safety hardware to support state DOTs in delivering a safer highway network for all users. The objective of this research project is to investigate how state DOTs can incorporate collected ISPE data and results in commonly used crash-testing protocols for roadside safety hardware.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5696
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $350,000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 22-64

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Project Managers:

  Deng, Zuxuan

• Start Date: 20250501
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barriers (Roads); Crash tests; Crashworthiness; Evaluation; Guardrails; Highway safety; Methodology; Performance measurement; Roadside
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01919235
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 22-64
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 21 2024 3:29PM