- [Announcer] Roadway departure crashes
resulting from a vehicle crossing an edge or center line,
accounted for over 45% of all fatal crashes in Texas
from 2010 to 2016.
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute
and the Texas Department of Transportation
evaluated ways to improve roadway safety devices
to help make travel safer
for the ever-changing types of vehicles
and conditions experienced by drivers.
- So roadside safety is really an aspect
that many motorists or general citizens
don't really think about too much.
So we're trying to design those guardrails
and those bridge rails
and those devices on the side of the road
so that they're there if you happen to need them.
So if a motorist for whatever reason leaves the roadway,
we're going to hopefully help prevent
a serious injury crash from occurring
by shielding them from those obstacles on the roadside.
- A couple of things that were tested under this project
were luminaire poles, we tested luminaire poles.
They hadn't been tested
to the current crash testing standards yet,
so we took the initiative and tested those.
Some of the news was good.
We got some passing and some failing,
but we got good information
and we know that we can move forward from here.
- This project was a little bit unusual
in that it was kind of a task order driven project.
So it was the TxDOT Bridge Design
Maintenance and Traffic Safety Divisions
that helped identify the high priority needs
in the roadside safety area
that we addressed under this project.
So there were a variety of different aspects
that were studied.
- We did find a safe taper rate for the concrete barriers.
We found a way to taper the barrier
a rate which was safe and that we wouldn't endanger
the traveling public and we won't endanger the workers.
So we can keep the workers safe
and we don't increase risk for the traveling public either.
- The research process largely involved
engineering analysis, finite element computer modeling
and simulation, and full scale crash testing.
And the full scale crash testing was conducted
at the TTI Proving Grounds
on the Texas A&M University System RELLIS Campus.
- I think there were several things that were tested
that will be implemented soon.
probably within the next year.
We'll have standard sheets for some,
we'll have policies implemented for others,
and we'll have further research for others.
The luminaire light poles will have further research
that we will probably implement within the next year.
And the concrete barrier tapering,
we'll probably issue a standard,
or we might issue policy changes
through the Roadway Design Manual.
- The key benefit of this project
is trying to reduce those serious injuries
and fatalities that are resulting
from those roadway departure crashes.
And so through the implementation of these devices,
you know, we hope to have a positive influence on that,
towards that road to zero fatalities.
Some of the devices that we develop though
also help reduce cost or improve operations,
so there's different aspects
depending on the particular device being studied.
TxDOT continues to be a leader in roadside safety.
They're very proactive in that area.
It was a pleasure being able to collaborate with them
and the different divisions on this project
and addressing those high priority roadside safety needs.
- TxDOT has been able to prioritize those things
that we have identified
and we've been able to test those things.
Hopefully these things will be of use
to many departments of transportation across the nation.
We're the first to test many of these things
that have been tested under this project,
and historically, once we release the the research,
they will be used by
many, many different transportation agencies.
- [Announcer] For more information
and to find the publication for this project,
please visit the TxDOT research library
at the link shown below.