Minnesota Horizontal Curve Safety Improvement Project
Principal Investigator:
Keith Knapp, Research Manager, PhD, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
Project Summary:
One low-cost technology that may help drivers select an appropriate speed when approaching a horizontal curve is the dynamic curve warning sign (DCWS). A DCWS generally consists of a warning sign combined with a speed measuring device (e.g., radar) that activates a variable message (e.g., slow down) when vehicles are traveling above a set threshold. The technologies used to create a DCWS are currently available and the devices have been implemented at various locations. This project evaluates the speed and crash impacts of three permanently installed DCWSs in three Minnesota counties. The project is a supplement and expansion of an ongoing Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) national DCWS field study. The DCWS sign that will be used in this study is innovative, relatively low cost, and has not been evaluated in a significant manner. The ability to combine the data and results of the national and Minnesota studies will increase the strength of the results of both and also allow the consideration of more sign-related variables. This project will result in vehicle speed data, crash information, and evaluation results that are comparable to those being produced by the national DCWS field study. This project, however, will also take advantage of the lessons learned and decisions made by the national DCWS field study team and reviewed by the FHWA (e.g., site selection criteria, sign vendor selected, and data analysis protocols). This project also expands upon the activities of the national study by completing a more detailed analysis of the use, interaction, and impacts of DCWSs on truck speeds and the various vehicle speeds during different times of the day (e.g., night and day). The current guidance for DCWSs in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) will be reviewed and suggestions for improvements made based on the results of this work.
Sponsor:
- Federal Highway Administration
- Humphrey Institute Match
- Minnesota Department of Transportation
Project Details:
- Start date: 05/2009
- Project Status: Active
- Research Area: Transportation Safety and Traffic Flow