National Wildlife Refuge Road Safety
Scott Whittemore, P.E.
Highway Safety EngineerEastern Federal Lands Highway Division
Tel: 703-404-6368
Email: [email protected]
Topics to be covered:
Animal-vehicle crashes FWS crash reporting system Sign retroreflectivity and replacement Low cost safety improvements
National Animal-Vehicle Crash Fatality Data
Source: DeerCrash.com
Year Fatal Crash Fatalities
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
195
201
158
165
144
144
162
126
139
111
122
204
210
170
177
150
152
165
136
153
123
131
Animal-Vehicle Crash (AVC) Trends
315,000 AVC (5 % of total crashes) AVC: 10,000 injuries (1% of total crashes) AVC: 200 fatalities (1/2 % of total crashes)
AVC believed to be under-reported by 50% or higher
Crashes and injuries occurred more often during: October and November Dusk / dawn conditions
What else do we know? 12 to 35% of all reported crashes on rural, 2-Lane
roads involve animals. (GAO, 2004) 87% of AVC were Deer-Vehicle Crashes (DVC) type 45% of DVC crashes resulted in some type of lane
departure maneuver Don’t Veer for Deer (Michigan)
Deer-Vehicle Crash Prevention Measures Under Study
In-vehicle vision system technologies Deicing salt alternatives Improve effectiveness of Deer Crossing
signs Enhanced sign designs Dynamic sign and sensor systems
Public information and education Wildlife crossings
NCHRP 25-27: Evaluation of the Use and Effectiveness of Wildlife Crossings
Analysis of research related to selection, configuration, and location of wildlife crossing structures
Report of current domestic and international wildlife crossing practices, along with recommendations for future changes
Guidelines for selection, configuration, location, monitoring, and maintaining these structures
Decision tool to assist professionals on how to consider wildlife and ecosystems when planning
and implementing transportation programs and
projects
Deer Vehicle Crash Information and Research (DVCIR) Center Pooled Fund
Project objective is to create a focal pointcenter that strategically considers /disseminates unbiased deer vehicle crash(DVC) impact information, and funds properlydesigned countermeasure researchevaluations
FWS Roadway Crashes –Light & Weather Conditions
Light Condition
7%
61%
16%
4%
12%
Dawn/Dusk Daylight Dark Unknown Blank
Weather
61%
1%
16%
5%
1%
3%
13%
Clear Cloudy Raining Snow ing
Fog Other Blank
FWS Roadway Crashes –Road Type & Surface Conditions
Road Type
5%
24%
62%
9%
Dirt Gravel Paved Blank
Road Surface
53%
21%11%
3%
4%
8%
Dry Wet Snow y Icy Other Blank
Top Crash Causes on FWS Roads
Top Crash Causes
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
animalbackingbicycle*distracted
ditch DUIhead-on
lost controlobj in roadrearendrollover
ROR side*speed
1st Cause 2nd Cause 3rd Cause
Sign Retroreflectivity
Retroreflectivity - property of a material to redirect light back towards its source
Retroreflectivity gradually deteriorates over time
Typical life of retroreflective sheeting varies by type: Engineer Grade (Type I) = approx. 7 years High Intensity (Type III) = approx. 10 years Diamond Grade (Types VII,VIII, IX) = 15+ years
Why is Retroreflectivity Important?
Critical for nighttime driving
Day - many cues available
Driver task relatively easy
Night - few cues remain
Task more difficult
Degradation of Sign RetroreflectivityR
etro
refle
ctiv
ity
Time
Sign Installed
New R
Minimum Retro Needs of Drivers
New R
Sign Replacement Scheduled
What are “Low Cost” Improvements?
No “Official” Definition One agency’s “low cost” is another agency’s
“too expensive”!
Up to $10,000 is widely accepted as “low cost”
Crash Reduction Countermeasures based on quantitative results from research studies
Run-Off-Road Causes & Hazards Drivers may leave the roadway as a result of:
Driver Error Collision Avoidance Roadway Condition Vehicle Component Failure
Common roadside hazards: Trees Utility Poles Sign Posts Ditches Paved Surface Edge Drop-Off
Human Factors Driver Behavior & Limitations
Perceive 2 or more events per second Make 1 to 3 decisions per second Take 30 to 120 actions per minute Commit at least one error every 2 minutes Involved in a hazardous situation every 2 hours Have 1 or 2 near collisions per month Average 1 crash every 6 years
Consider pedestrian & bicyclist user needs
HORIZONTAL CURVES
CW Sign w/ Advisory Speed Plaque (Reduce All Crashes by 22%)NCHRP 500 Volume 7 “Guide for Collisions on Horizontal Curves”
HORIZONTAL CURVES
Chevron Alignment Signs (Reduce All Crashes by 35%)NCHRP 500 Volume 7 “Guide for Collisions on Horizontal Curves”
HORIZONTAL CURVES
Sharp Curve Warning Large Arrow Sign Reduce Fixed Object Crashes by 43% Reduce Head-On Crashes by 44% Reduce Wet Surface Crashes by 43%NYSDOT Study of 41 Locations
LANE DEPARTURE
Application of Pavement Markings: Centerline - Reduce All Crashes by 30% to 35% Edgelines - Reduce All Crashes by 4% to 44%
LANE DEPARTURE
Roadside Delineators: Reduce All Crashes by 20% to 30% Reduce Injury/Fatal Crashes by 6% to 15%
Lane Departure - The Safety Edge
Eliminates the vertical edge drop-off
Applies a 30°-35° asphalt fillet to the edge of the roadway
Minimal added cost (<1% overall)
Low Cost Safety Improvements
STEEP SIDESLOPE
“BLIND” CURVE
ADDED CHEVRONS
ADDED GUARDRAIL
HIGH VEGETATION DENSITY
BRUSH CLEARING* &
IMPROVED SIGHTLINES
Low Cost Safety Improvements
* On federal lands projects, a selective clearing approach is preferred
Questions ?