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Instructor Information: James W. Ellison, P.E.

Course Length: 1.5 Hours

This webinar was co-sponsored by ASCE's Transportation and Development Institute and ASCE Continuing Education  

Purpose and Background

In 2009, over 33,000 people lost their lives on streets and highways in the U.S. Although the number of fatalities continues to gradually decrease from year to year, there are still many opportunities to implement countermeasures to further reduce highway-related deaths. Transportation engineers, managers, and engineering technicians play an important role in addressing highway safety issues through their design and operation of state highways, city streets, and county roads.

This presentation provides an overview of nine crash countermeasures that have been identified by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as proven approaches to improving and enhancing traffic safety on streets and highways. These countermeasures include highway construction improvements such as roundabouts and left turn lanes. They also include measures that can be incorporated as a part of a larger design/construction project, such as median barriers, medians, and pedestrian walkways. Operational improvements involving signal timing for yellow clearance intervals and installation of rumble strips and stripes are offered. The road safety audit process is described as a way of proactively identifying and addressing potential safety concerns during the preliminary engineering and design of a project, as well as applying the approach to existing roadways.

The potential application of each of the nine crash countermeasures will be discussed. Issues that should be considered when implementing these countermeasures will be provided, including for some cases the institutional barriers that may be encountered. Finally, additional informational resources will be covered for those who are interested in additional in-depth follow-up.

Learning Outcomes

This webinar will help you become aware of nine highway safety improvement countermeasures that you can potentially apply when designing, constructing, operating, or planning projects and programs for streets and highways. The information provided will assist you in appreciating not only where and when such countermeasures should be considered, but also some of the potential barriers to implementation that may arise. Finally, when you recognize an opportunity in their future work to consider one or more of these countermeasures, you will be aware of additional resources that are available for more in-depth analysis.

Webinar Benefits

• Become aware of nine crash countermeasures that FHWA considers proven and effective
• Learn about the safety benefits of each countermeasure
• Become knowledgeable about when and where to consider the countermeasure
• Be aware of possible barriers to implementation
• Learn about additional resources that are available for more in-depth analysis

Intended Audience

This webinar will benefit engineers and technicians who are involved in the design, review, construction or operations of streets and highways. This would include consultants responsible for the design of new or reconstructed roadways, or for the study of safety operations of existing roadways, as well as state highway, county road and city public works personnel who plan, design, operate, or maintain streets and highways.

Webinar Outline

• Roundabouts
• Corridor Access Management
• Safety Edge
• Signal Backplates With Retroreflective Borders
• Rumble Strips and Rumble Stripes
• Enhanced Delineation & Friction for Horizontal Curves
• Medians and Pedestrian Refuge Areas
• Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons
• Road Diet