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Guidance For and Effectiveness of Low Cost Delineation Treatments

Roadway departure crashes (RDCs) occur when vehicles cross an edge line or center line or otherwise leave the path of travel. Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has devoted significant efforts to reducing RDCs, but selection of countermeasures is a complex process. The objectives of this research are to (1) evaluate the likely safety effects of different low-cost delineation and marking strategies with regards to preventing RDCs and (2) determine the life-cycle costs of different effective countermeasures identified under the first objective. The research team will review the maintenance practices for these devices along with the considerations for the development of crash modification factors for Virginia that should compared to national findings. Countermeasure performance will be examined for daytime and nighttime travel along with on roads with varying horizontal and vertical curvatures. Crashes and relevant safety surrogates will be the primary measures of effectiveness, and potential changes to VDOT’s design standards will be identified.