Virginia Cooperative Organization Sponsored Jointly by the Virginia. Virginia. opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this

Transcription

1 WITH A DIVIDED HIGHWAY CROSSING SIGN EXPERIMENTS REDUCE WRONG-WAY DRIVING TO N. K. Vaswani Dr. Research Scientist Senior opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this (The are those of author and not necessarily those of report Highway & Transportation Research Council Virginia Cooperative Organization Sponsored Jointly by Virginia (A of Highways & Transportation and Department University of Virginia) 1977 January 77-R36 VHTRC 2939 PROGRESS REPORT NO. 1 by sponsoring agencies.) Charlottesville, Virginia

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3 WITH A DIVIDED HIGHWAY CROSSING SIGN EXPERIMENTS REDUCE WRONG-WAY DRIVING TO N. K. Vaswani Dr. Research Scientist Senior on a report (1) by present author, Traffic Based Advisory Committee recommended installation of Research highway crossing signs on Route 29 from Charlottesville divided Culpeper and from Warrenton to Gainesvii!e. The approxi- to 57 miles of road in se two sections include 72 mately intersections. divided highway crossing sign used in this experiment is The copy of one used by Delaware Department of Highways and a Delaware engineers claim that y have used this Transportation. for past 20 years with excellent results. sign Delaware. Department of Highways and Transportation has The Federal Highway Administration to approve an alternate requested paragraph 2B-28 and figure 2-3 of Manual on Uniform Traffic to Devices for streets and highways -(F-MUTCD). The alternate Control divided highway crossing sign should be The on approach legs that intersect with a used highway. The sign shall be used only divided median of divided highway is where than 200 feet wide and re is no visual less in median that would obstruct obstruction driver from seeing both directions of facility when approaching on divided 29 1 PROGRESS REPORT NO. i by DESCRIPTION AND PLACEMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL SIGNS to paragraph 2B-28 as reco mmended by m is as follows" crossroad. (2) 2-3 of F-MUTCD is reproduced in figure i.* The arrangement Figure recommend, is shown in figure 2. This request reflects y *Figures and tables are appended.

4 Highway and Transportation Department's intention to Delaware away with one-way sign most commonly found at intersections do Virginia re is a similar need to inform drivers about In geometry of intersection before he begins to negotiate it. addition, research has shown that at many intersections due to In geometrics, it may be very desirable to guide driver improper crossroad through a left turn to far side of from during darkness. For this purpose a "turn around nose" median sign is being recommended for use under following conditions" When cro ssroad slopes downwards from 4-1ane a. highway such that headlights of cars divided highway from crossroad do not approaching on road surface, as is shown on left fall The dual lanes of 4-1ane divided highway are at b. elevations and headlights do not illu- different nose of median, as is shown on minate in Figure 3. right When crossroads meet 4-1ane divided highway c. an angle such that driver is unable to locate at Any or causes which obstruct a driver's view of d. nose of median on his left. When nose of median on driver's left is e. visible during darkness and it may be necessary not "turn around nose" sign. The "'turn around nose" of should be so located as to lie within keg of nig.ht legi- sign divided highway crossing sign as recommended by Dela- The Department of Highways and Transportat.ion is of two designs ware a T-intersect<on on a divided highway. Each of se signs is for mm (24 in.) wide and 450 mm (18 in.) high. The. turn around 610 sign is shown in Figure 7. It is 610 m.m (24 in.) wide and nose mm (30 in.) high. Each of se signs has a non reflectorized 760 legend and border on a white reflectorized background of black grade sheeting. engineering 2942 of crossroads and 4-1ane divided highways. in Figure 3. nose of median on his left. use this reflectorized sign to help provide guidance. to 4 shows Delaware recommenda.tions and also provision Figure described by author in earlier presentations( ) and as bility in Figure 4. shown shown in Figures 5 and 6. The one in Figure 5 is for a cross- as intersection on a divided highway and one in Figure 6 is road

5 highway crossing signs are intended to inform drivers Divided divided highways from crossroads of geometry of entering On non-signalized intersections such signs could, intersections. be placed below stop sign or signs as shown in refore, 2. On signalized intersections, y could be placed under Figure signs near stop line. Preferably, y should be regulatory experimental sections of Route 29 locations of On highway crossing signs vary from intersection to intersection, divided eir left or right corner of intersection of cross- on with 4-1ane divided highway, or stop signs were on h oth road In where sign islands were provided re was eir corners. cases sign on sign island or one on right and corner stop one on island. Whatever location of stop sign, one highway crossing sign has been placed under it. F gures 8 divided 9 show two types of such locations. On two experimenta and "turn around nose ' s gns_ have been provided near sections, of medians at all intersections. These signs should be noses as near nose and as near driver entering provided highway as possible, because this placement will enable divided driver to see sign under low beam headlights at nigh. engineers often have to collaborate with such private parties traffic rovide divided highway crossing signs within ir domain. On to driver approaching a divided highway from a crossroad is A by a stop sign that he must stop and is informed of informed signs like those shown in Figures 8 and 9 become redundant 0ne-way installation of divided highway crossing sign, and after redundancy is increased by installation of turn around ir nose signs. One-way signs below guide signs as shown in Figure 8 also are redundant. Division of Highways engineers argue that con- Delaware caused by a series of one-way signs as shown in Figure i fusion be eli inated by use of divided highway crossing signs would shown in Figure 2. Removal of redundant signs is essential as 29 3 on right-hand side of driver entering intersection placed shown in Figure 2. s upon where stop sign was already located. I cases depending sign islands did not exist re was eir one stop sign where times wrong-way entries have been caused by drivers coming Many of private residential or commercial areas, and district out two experimental sections during last three years re only one fatal accident. This accident was caused by a wrong- was driver coming out of private property (Badger Powhattan Plant) way Route 29. Therefore, provision of sign on private property on should not be over looked. of intersection by a divided highway crossing sign. geometry latter sign also tells him direction of permissible travel. The to reduce sign congestion.

6 best way to determine effect of divided highway. The signs on two sections of Route 29 is to study crossing on wrong-way entries before and after ir installation. data installation of se signs took about one month and was The on April 23, Wrong-way entry data for about 4 completed before this installation,.covering period from January years that 9 wrong-way entries were reported during 3 years shows to installation and that no wrong-way entries have been prior since installation. This period of evaluation is recorded short to allow any definite conclusions, however, results too to be encouraging. The following recommendations are re- seem made: fore Continue evaluation, by studying wrong-way entry I. accidents due to wrong-way entries, and counts, The divided highway crossing sign and turn around 2. nose sign should be provided at all cross and T subdivis'on roads, on two experimental residential This experiment should be extended to all sections. The reason for this is as follows" many a time route. traffic police officer is not able to. determine location of wrong-way entry. The provision of exact divided highway crossing signs at all junctions will case of a wrong-way entry prove that driver did in divided highway crossing sign. ignore Since provision of experimental signs have created 3. problems and results seem encouraging, types of no signs should be tried at following locations. Intersections of interstate exit ramps a. 4-1ane divided crossroads. Table 2 and data on wrong-way entries at such gives Priority should be given to locations. installation of signs at listed in Table 2. intersections Intersections or than those with exit b. where wrong-way entries have been ramps EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1973, to October 22, 1976, which included a period of about 7 i, after installation, are given in Table i. This table months subjective questioning. of 4-!ane divided highways with cross- intersections including intersections with commercial and roads, on Route 29 between Culpeper and Warrenton intersections all intersections in townships along this including

7 The signs were publicized immediately after ir 4. Frequently, publicity by district installation. engineers about meaning and purpose of traffic would lead public to familiarize mselves signs signs and would enable better conformance with with sign messages reported during last 6 repeatedly Table 3 lists such locations. years.

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9 Vaswani, N. K., "Engineering Measures for Reducing Wrong-way i. Virginia Highway and Transportation Research Council, Driving," Delaware Division of Highways. A letter dated August 2, 1976, 2. Raymond S. Pusey, Chief, Bureau of Traffic, to Robert E. from Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D. C. Connor, for approval of intersection plan containing divided asking Annual Meeting of Transportation Research Board, 1977, Washington D. C. January REFERENCES VHTRC 76-R8, September highway crossing sign. 3. "Summary of Wrong-way Incident Data, " Traffic and Saeety Division, Highway and Transportation Department, and Virginia Virginia of State Police. Department Vaswani, N. K., "Poor Visibility Under Low Beam Headlights, A 4. Cause of Wrong-way Driving, a paper to be presented at Common

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11 APPENDIX

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13 i. Location of one-way and turn prohibition signs Figure shown in Figure.2-3 of F-M..UT.CD. as 2951

14 Location of divided highway cmossing sign. Figume by Delawame Department of High- (Recommended and Tmansportation as an altemnate to ways shown in Figume 2-3 of F-MUTCD.) signs

15 (1] -i--i 0 I 0 o ro, 0 :,ii:::iiii:i::::.;i,-t 0 o o 0,z::l

16 4. Turn around nose sign superimposed on Figure Department of Highways and Transportation Delaware sign system shown in Figure 2. of Night Keg Visibility

17 mm -- 2 in. DIVIDED Figure Four-legged intemseetion divided highway crossing HIGHWAY sign. 610 mm = 24 in. DIVIDED Figure Three-legged intersection divided highway crossing HIGHWAY sign. 610 mm in. Figure Turn around nose sign.

18 295 0 ) I , o, ,

19 2957 " o 0 h. bo>u

20 o II II II IIII O0 O0 0 o o O0 0 o o 4[ o o

21 4-1ane Highway i' Crossroad O28 O Bus. Bus. of Repeated Wrong-way Entries 4-1ane Divided Highway Intersections Where Sites Highway Crossing Sign and Turn Around Nose Sign Should be Provided Divided Accident Date of Driver Light Direction ""Yes o killed County 6-71 Drunk W in EBL No Loudoun Drunk W in EBL No Loudo n 8-?2 Drunk Loudoun 5-73 Drunk W in EBL Yes 3 Loudoun 2-74 Nervous W in EBL No Loudoun 3-76 Nervous W in EBL Yes Loudoun Unknown N in SBL No Gloucester 8-71 N in SBL Yes Gloucester Drunk S in NBL No Campbell 1-72 Drunk N in SBL No Campbell 6-72 Normal N in SBL No Fauquier 7-72 Drunk S in NBL No Fauquier Drunk N in SBL No Madison 2-76 Normal N in SBL No Madison Normal Pittsylvania Drunk Pittsylvania Queen 5-72 Normal King Queen 2-74 Normal King Normal Mecklenburg 8-75 Drunk Mecklenburg 8-70 Drunk Brunswick 6-72 Drunk Brunswick 9-70 Drunk Brunswick 9-70 Drunk Brunswick i0-72 Normal Southampton 8-72 Normal Southampton Kent i0-70 Drunk New Kent 4-73 Normal New 9-72 Confused Augusta 7-73 Confused Augusta George 6-71 Drunk King George 8-72 Drunk King George 6-72 Drunk Prince George 1-73 Drunk Prince 9-70 Normal Sussex i0-71 Drunk Sussex 8'70 Normal Richmond Normal Richmond 8-70 Normal Appomattox 9-70 Drunk Appomattox Appomattox ll-71 Drunk ll-71 Drunk Appomattox ll-71 Drunk Appomattox Appomattox 6-72 Normal Drunk Dinwiddie 9-73 Normal Dinwiddie Normal Montgomery Normal Montgomery S in NBL No S in NBL No W in EBL No W in EBL Yes Dusk W in EBL No W in EBL No N in SBL No N in SBL No S in NBL Yes S in NBL Yes N in SBL Yes N in SBL No W in EBL No W in EBL W in EBL No W in EBL No S in NBL Yes not help, may strip pro- Rumble after May vided Table Remarks Injured Incidence Condition of Travel No All drivers drunk, Signs Bus. W in EBL No Dinwiddie 9-73 Normal

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