Engineering and technology measures to improve large truck safety : state of the practice in Virginia.

Fontaine, Michael D · 2003 · ROSA P / Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC)

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Summary

This technical assistance report, commissioned by the Virginia Special Task Force on Truck Safety, evaluates engineering and technology measures to reduce large truck crashes in Virginia. The study was motivated by a request from U.S. Representatives to examine crash causes and potential solutions. The Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC) conducted a rapid literature review and surveyed Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) personnel to identify effective countermeasures, assess current implementations, and solicit recommendations for future initiatives. The methodology combined a review of national studies on intelligent transportation systems (ITS), geometric design, and traffic control with a survey of VDOT engineers and administrators. The literature review highlighted several effective technologies. Truck speed advisory systems, which use radar to detect excessive speeds on ramps and downgrades, eliminated rollover crashes at four sites in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania over six years. A Colorado study showed these systems reduced speeds by an average of 8 mph on steep grades. Rumble strips demonstrated significant safety benefits; Virginia’s implementation of over 1,750 miles of shoulder rumble strips reduced run-off-the-road crashes by 51.5 percent. Conversely, the effectiveness of truck lane restrictions was mixed; while Florida and Texas saw crash reductions, a study of Virginia’s Capital Beltway indicated a 13.8 percent increase in crash rates after restrictions were implemented. The VDOT survey revealed that the agency already employs various ITS tools, including variable message signs, highway advisory radio, and the I-81 Truck Fleet Alert Program, to provide real-time traveler information. VDOT also utilizes automatic truck rollover warning systems, dynamic over-height detectors, and weigh-in-motion systems to enhance safety and operational efficiency. Geometric improvements currently in place include truck climbing lanes in mountainous regions and extended acceleration/deceleration lanes on I-81. Survey respondents recommended further geometric updates, such as increasing curve radii on older interchanges to accommodate modern truck sizes and adding more truck escape ramps. The report concludes with specific recommendations for VDOT. It suggests encouraging dynamic truck speed advisory systems at high-rollover sites, examining whether current geometric design standards adequately serve the modern truck fleet, and developing guidelines for advance warning signals at intersections with limited sight distance. Additionally, the report advises reevaluating the safety impact of existing truck lane restrictions. The findings underscore that while VDOT has implemented many effective measures, continued investment in ITS, geometric updates, and targeted traffic control strategies is necessary to further improve large truck safety.

Key finding

Rumble strips reduced run-off-the-road crashes by 51.5 percent in Virginia, whereas truck lane restrictions in Northern Virginia were associated with a 13.8 percent increase in crash rates.

Methodology

survey

Provenance

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Topics

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• perceptual countermeasures