{"79741":{"#nid":"79741","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Rural Roads in Southeast Prove Deadly to Drivers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERural two-lane highways are the largest single class of roads in the United States -- and they are the deadliest, especially in the Southeast.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom 1996 to 2000, almost one-third of the nation\u0027s traffic fatalities occurred in just eight southeastern states, and of those, 64 percent occurred on rural roads, according to a recent Georgia Institute of Technology study. Take Florida - a less rural state - out of the analysis, and 71 percent of traffic fatalities in the region occurred on these highways as compared to 59 percent nationally.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The most frequent crashes in the Southeast occurred on rural roads in wooded areas where people ran off the road and hit a tree,\u0022 said Georgia Tech Associate Professor of Civil Engineering Karen Dixon, who headed the regional study funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) via the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith reports from southeastern transportation officials and researchers, the study quantified the top highway safety concerns - including rural roads - in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, Kentucky and Florida. Tennessee chose not to contribute a report. The study also recommended countermeasures, such as lane and shoulder widening.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn rural roads, the most common contributing factor to traffic fatalities was late-night driving by tired or apparently intoxicated motorists, especially on weekends, Dixon noted. Many of these victims were males between ages 16 and 25. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study also found that 48.6 percent of the region\u0027s fatal crashes involved drivers who did not wear seatbelts, she added. In a related finding in Georgia\u0027s report, Dixon discovered a disproportionate number of pickup trucks involved in fatal crashes. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is partly because pickup trucks are more often driven on rural roads and because, in Georgia\u0085. pickup drivers cannot be stopped by police solely because they\u0027re not wearing their seatbelt,\u0022 Dixon said. \u0022I think this study shows we need to take a second look as this law and reconsider it.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother of the study\u0027s findings lays potential blame for fatal crashes on the 2.5- to 5-inch pavement drop-offs often found on rural highway edges. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Almost half of the non-state maintained roadway crashes we looked at had an edge drop-off issue,\u0022 she noted. \u0022We don\u0027t know if this caused all of these crashes, but nonetheless, the potential exists for it to be a serious problem.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDrop-offs develop as roads are repaved and\/or soil erodes along the shoulder. And roadside ruts are caused by rural mail carriers who drive with one side of their vehicles on the road and the other on the unpaved shoulder, she added.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo address the drop-off concern, some state and federal transportation agencies are considering changes in roadside edge treatments (e.g., planting grass) and trimming of tree branches along the roads. And a GDOT pilot study is under way to test the durability of a new tapered paved-edge treatment. GDOT plans to specify the new tapered paved-edge treatment on a project-specific, rather than general, basis beginning in January 2005. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther fatal crash contributing factors cited in the study are: collisions with commercial trucks (one of every eight traffic fatalities), speeding, inexperienced drivers, weather and driver reaction to an unexpected occurrence in the car or on the roadway (e.g., a deer in the road).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECountermeasures recommended in the study include: widening of lanes and shoulders, road alignment improvements, and the addition of advisory speed signs or other speed controls.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA proposed follow-up study would use the southeastern state traffic fatality databases to do cross-sectional comparisons of contributing factors.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn other transportation safety-related studies headed by Dixon:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0095 The GDOT funded development of a new computer tool for evaluating the state\u0027s rural transportation improvements - including those prompted by safety concerns. Called the Multimodal Transportation Planning Tool (MTPT), the program addresses aviation, commuter rail, intercity bus systems, transit for disabled citizens, highways and bicycling. It also contains an environmental justice module to address the impact of transportation improvements upon minority populations. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The program looks at the various potential modes of transportation and the infrastructure associated with them and then evaluates them for suitability for and compatibility with the area,\u0022 Dixon explained. \u0022For example, if the tool shows that an area is not suitable for bicycles, it would show what improvements would be needed now or 10 or 20 years in the future and the cost of these.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe tool allows users to select an evaluation region based on GDOT district, Regional Development Center (RDC), county, highlighted selection from a map or by road corridor. Results are displayed in a text report and in a geographic information system (GIS) map for the highway, bicycle and environmental justice modules. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDixon is particularly excited about the MTPT rural environmental justice module. It addresses how transportation plans may affect air quality and noise pollution, for example, for a minority population in any RDC area. \u0022If transportation improvements are planned, the tool will determine whether the plans are sensitive to the minority population so officials can avoid poor decisions,\u0022 she added.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDixon expects that both GDOT and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, which oversees some municipal transportation projects, will use MTPT. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0095 Also for GDOT, Georgia Tech researchers are evaluating several technologies designed to protect drivers and road workers from incidents in work zones. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We have a serious problem in the United States with speeding in work zones,\u0022 Dixon said. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2,705 people were killed nationwide in highway work zones in 2001. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe systems designed to prevent such accidents collect information on driver speed with microwave sensors or radar technology. And they use changeable message signs to alert drivers of a forthcoming work zone, caution them to slow down and post an estimated travel speed or delay time. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUser surveys revealed that the driving public appreciates the advance messages, but only half believe the time estimates are accurate, she noted. Nonetheless, the changeable message sign with radar technology has proven effective in reducing work zone speed, Dixon added. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDixon and her colleagues are testing three technologies on interstate highways in Georgia, and the other one - a smaller, simpler system - is being studied on a rural highway with a lot of commercial truck traffic. The latter system posts a caution message to individual drivers who are speeding. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It\u0027s important to know which technologies are good for which scenarios,\u0022 Dixon explained. \u0022Some are better for short-term road work only, and some are better for long-term work\u0085. We also want to know the optimal placement for these systems.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDixon expects to report the final study results to GDOT by the end of this month. \u0022The Federal Highway Administration is watching for the results of this study, as are some other states,\u0022 she added. \u0022These technologies are expensive, so they want to make sure the investment is worth it.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0095 Another study recently begun by Dixon and Georgia Tech Professor of Civil Engineering Michael Meyer focuses on the effects of context-sensitive roadside treatments (e.g., trees, signs, sculptures) on highway safety for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022For example, some people think trees should be removed along urban roads to prevent people from crashing into them, but others say the trees create a pleasing environment that makes drivers slow down to enjoy it,\u0022 Dixon said. \u0022We don\u0027t know the answer yet, but we want to see if context-sensitive roadside treatments have an effect on the transportation system. Then officials can make a better decision on when to make the tradeoffs that may be needed.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne question researchers are asking is what size trees are safe along the roadside, she noted. An old study using wooden poles in a concrete base suggests trees of less than four inches in diameter are OK because they will bend, rather than break, if hit by a vehicle. But this study may not provide an appropriate comparison to four-inch diameter trees with established root systems, Dixon explained. Another question relates to the impact of curvy versus straight roads on speed.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers expect to complete this study by December 2005. The study is being funded by the National Research Council.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERESEARCH NEWS \u0026amp; PUBLICATIONS OFFICE\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMEDIA RELATIONS CONTACTS: Georgia Tech: Jane Sanders (404-894-2214); E-mail: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jane.sanders@edi.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejane.sanders@edi.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); Fax (404-894-4545) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@edi.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejohn.toon@edi.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Georgia Department of Transportation: Karlene Barron (404-463-6460); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:karlene.barron@dot.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekarlene.barron@dot.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETECHNICAL CONTACTS: Karen Dixon, Georgia Tech, (404-894-5830); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:karen.dixon@ce.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekaren.dixon@ce.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); or David Jared, Georgia DOT, (404-363-7569); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:david.jared@dot.state.ga.us\u0022\u003Edavid.jared@dot.state.ga.us\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWRITER: Jane Sanders\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Study Documents Hazards \u0026 Solutions"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Rural two-lane highways are the largest single class of roads in the United States -- and they are the deadliest, especially in the Southeast.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Rural two-lane highways are especially dangerous."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2004-12-17 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:38","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2004-12-17T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2004-12-17T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"79751":{"id":"79751","type":"image","title":"Rural two-lane road","body":null,"created":"1449178071","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:51","changed":"1475894693","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:53"}},"media_ids":["79751"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=\u0022\u003EContact  \u003C\/a\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}