(dramatic music)
- [Narrator] Texas is well known for flash floods
and it's high number of low water crossings.
Most drownings occur at these low water crossings.
TxDOT funded a team of researchers
to make these locations safer
by investigating all aspects of the problem.
Why are they occurring?
What are federal
and other state DOTs doing to address the issue?
The researchers also developed both low-tech
and high-tech solutions
addressing human behavior issues
underwater striping visibility
and sensor communications
in the age of connected infrastructure.
- So TxDOT decided to fund this project
with the main objective in mind
to develop and to investigate low cost means
to better alert the traffic of the lower crossing.
- I think that drivers under estimate
the power of water
it only takes about six inches of water
to sweep a car off the road
at a certain velocity just six inches
and it takes one flow of water
to float most cars.
We do have measures in place
such as turn around don't drowned
public outreach and education program.
We have some standard signs
that we use at our crossings
but we need to do more
to try to influence the behavior
of drivers at crossings
and so this is what this research was about.
Conveying in real time
to the driver information
that can be used to make informed decisions.
- We looked at various striping treatments
to improve the delineation through
the crossing both center line stripings
and edge line stripings
with the idea of trying to convey
through the stripings when the crossing is traversable
and when it's not traversable.
So if a driver could no longer see
the markings in the crossing
then they would realize
that the crossing is flooded
and they wouldn't enter into that area.
- Also this project look at passive
and active warning systems like signs for example
or water sensors
that are used to determine even
the depth of the water.
- The second option that was researched looked
at more of a flood warning system
that involves a flood sensor.
So the idea here is
that the sensor records the depth of water
and after the water reaches a certain threshold
the sensor can trigger an active warning device
such as a gate or a flashing beacon.
- We also looked at applying advanced technologies
to provide warnings
to drivers directly inside their vehicles.
Using sensors we could detect when
the crossing was flooded
and provide them with a message
that the crossing was flooded both at
the crossing area itself
and away from the crossing
so that they could divert around
and not even get closer or enter into
the flooded area overall.
- The technology that's being utilized in these scenarios
is a broadcast technology.
The radios that are installed at the intersections
are broadcasting an alert
to any vehicle that's nearby
and because this capability is integrated
with the Lonestar Traffic Management Center Software
it allows the TMC to know
that there's potentially
a vehicle that has approached
and even tried to cross a low water crossing.
- Our researchers have completed some recommendations
that were given to TxDOT in terms of signage
and also pavement in markings and markers
that can be used at these locations.
Also this project clearly indicate
that there is a great potential
for use of these conductivity technology.
- Sometimes the signs alongside of the road
maybe aren't enough
and sometimes that digital second reminder
that this really is a big issue
and I think that starts
to make an improvement.
- [Narrator] For more information
and to find the publications for this project
please visit the TxDOT Research Library
at the link shown below.