National Wildlife Refuge Road Safety

Scott Whittemore, P.E.

Highway Safety EngineerEastern Federal Lands Highway Division

Tel: 703-404-6368

Email: scott.whittemore@fhwa.dot.gov

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 ?