Chapter 2Highway Transportation System

• People

• Vehicles

• Roadways

Purpose of the HTS

• Move people and cargo safely and efficiently

PeopleUse the HTS by walking, driving, or riding and are called roadway users

Vehicles There are a wide range of vehicles

Mopeds and MotorcyclesTractors and Semi-trucksCars, SUVs, Vans Farm VehiclesEmergency VehiclesBicycles

• Roadways– Varies from dirt roads to complex multi-lane

expressway

– Problems with roadways are:• Rain • Night time • Rough pavement

HTS Breakdowns

• Traffic tie-ups

• Collisions

Motor Vehicles Deaths Involving Alcohol

• United States – 1999- 34000 deaths

• 12000-alcohol related

• 6000-drug related

• North Carolina2009- 11,253 crashes

394 fatalities

8736 injuries

This means while alcohol a part in just 5% of the total crashes, it accounted for 30% of all fatalities

Sports Utility Vehicles

Advantages– Bigger, higher and

safe for occupants– Ford SUV weighs

7,000 pounds – In accidents the

bigger, higher survive

• Problems– Poor gas mileage– High center gravity

easier to roll over

Sharing the road with trucks and buses

• No Zone- represents the danger area around the trucks and buses where crashes are likely to occur

Motorcycles

• Most dangerous form of transportation

• 37 deaths per 100,000,000 miles driven, compared to 1.7 for all motor vehicles

• 70% of deaths are failure to yield to motorcycles.

Mopeds

• Part of the US highways

• They are not bicycles or motorcycles

• Often operated by persons without a license.

• Travels slow-lane position three

• Only requirement- 16 years old and wear a DOT helmet

Farm Vehicles

• Farm vehicles have a right to use the roads

• They move slow usually 15-18 mph

• Can be operated by unlicensed persons

• They cause drivers to take unnecessary risk

Pedestrians

• 4100 pedestrian/vehicle deaths each year in the US

• 147 fatalities and 1,682 injuries in North Carolina in 2009

• Scan harder around alleys, driveways, residential areas, jogging areas, parking lots

Move Over Law

• It is the responsibility of the driving public to yield to emergency vehicles

• The law requires motorist to slow down and approach cautiously when an emergency vehicle is stopped on the shoulder with its lights on

• On multi-lane highway- move over to another lane or slow down on a two lane highway

Three Skills of Driving Task• Physical skill- the person coordination with the

vehicle• Social skill- interaction with others on the

highway. Be positive. Road rage is on a rise. Drivers are often rude

• Mental skill- five mental skills– Understand your vehicle– Perception based on stored knowledge– understand traffic laws– Judge time and space relationship– Concentration –study the traffic

Six means of management of HTS• DMV- Regulates drivers licenses, truck

weight, license plates, fees, registration• Enforcement agencies- each police unit,

highway patrol help maintain safe travel• Traffic court- assure proper enforcement

of law• Engineering-highway and vehicle • Medical aid- reduces the losses caused by

collisions• Education- high school driver’s education