1 00:00:00,301 --> 00:00:02,718 (soft music) 2 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,900 - [Narrator] Texas saw over 3,500 fatal accidents 3 00:00:12,900 --> 00:00:17,430 and nearly 17,000 serious injury crashes in 2015. 4 00:00:17,430 --> 00:00:20,070 This combined with the state's growing population 5 00:00:20,070 --> 00:00:23,137 highlighted a need to address highway safety. 6 00:00:23,137 --> 00:00:25,350 The Texas Department of Transportation 7 00:00:25,350 --> 00:00:27,840 and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute 8 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:29,610 investigated ways to evaluate 9 00:00:29,610 --> 00:00:32,850 and enhance the use of traffic control devices 10 00:00:32,850 --> 00:00:35,400 with a goal of improving roadway communication 11 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:38,643 and reducing crashes while enhancing the flow of traffic. 12 00:00:39,930 --> 00:00:42,690 - This research project is actually a continuation 13 00:00:42,690 --> 00:00:46,233 of several similar projects we've had over the years 14 00:00:46,233 --> 00:00:47,850 where we can help Tex DOT 15 00:00:47,850 --> 00:00:49,710 with short-term research issues, 16 00:00:49,710 --> 00:00:51,990 dealing with traffic control devices. 17 00:00:51,990 --> 00:00:53,820 They requested to experiment 18 00:00:53,820 --> 00:00:57,614 with driveway assistance devices in work zones. 19 00:00:57,614 --> 00:01:02,460 DADs are devices that allow someone coming in from, say, 20 00:01:02,460 --> 00:01:03,990 a residential driveway 21 00:01:03,990 --> 00:01:07,530 to understand which way they can turn on a two lane road 22 00:01:07,530 --> 00:01:09,870 when one of those lanes is closed. 23 00:01:09,870 --> 00:01:12,310 - What it does is when you have a 24 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,370 two lane roadway with one way traffic control, 25 00:01:17,370 --> 00:01:19,770 with temporary traffic signals on each end, 26 00:01:19,770 --> 00:01:21,510 how do you control all the driveways? 27 00:01:21,510 --> 00:01:23,790 How do they know when they can go and when they can't go? 28 00:01:23,790 --> 00:01:26,310 - And so these devices have different displays 29 00:01:26,310 --> 00:01:28,500 and signs on them, and that's what we're trying to answer. 30 00:01:28,500 --> 00:01:31,510 We're trying to help Tex DOT figure out what's the best 31 00:01:32,612 --> 00:01:34,380 displays that are easily understood by the motorists, 32 00:01:34,380 --> 00:01:36,900 what signage may be needed with those displays 33 00:01:36,900 --> 00:01:38,640 to explain when they need to stop, 34 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:39,810 when they need to turn right 35 00:01:39,810 --> 00:01:41,070 and when they need to turn left. 36 00:01:41,070 --> 00:01:43,950 - TTI sends people out to the field. 37 00:01:43,950 --> 00:01:48,950 They set up cameras to observe the drivers on how they're 38 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:52,770 observing the indications. 39 00:01:52,770 --> 00:01:55,409 The flashing yellow, the flashing red. 40 00:01:55,409 --> 00:01:58,290 On flashing yellow, they can turn in that direction, 41 00:01:58,290 --> 00:02:00,540 on red, they're not supposed to go in that direction. 42 00:02:00,540 --> 00:02:03,750 So it is been observing the drivers as to 43 00:02:03,750 --> 00:02:05,430 what they're supposed to do 44 00:02:05,430 --> 00:02:08,400 and recording that information all out in the field. 45 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,520 - We're in the field looking at pavement markings, 46 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,520 looking at signs, being in work zones, 47 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:18,660 evaluating actual motorist responses to the devices, 48 00:02:18,660 --> 00:02:20,490 as well as obtaining Tex DOT 49 00:02:20,490 --> 00:02:23,160 and contractor opinions of the devices. 50 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,250 - As I've learned, you know, there's other projects that 51 00:02:26,250 --> 00:02:28,020 where you're doing full depth repair, 52 00:02:28,020 --> 00:02:29,520 you're not planning, 53 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:30,930 you don't want to plan to open up. 54 00:02:30,930 --> 00:02:34,230 So you need to have a tool like these driveway assistance 55 00:02:34,230 --> 00:02:39,230 devices that can allow you to 56 00:02:39,660 --> 00:02:42,990 perform that traffic control, only having one lane open, 57 00:02:42,990 --> 00:02:46,369 but giving the residents along the way, 58 00:02:46,369 --> 00:02:48,897 know which way they can travel safely. 59 00:02:48,897 --> 00:02:53,740 The the key thing about this is that it is a device that 60 00:02:54,810 --> 00:02:57,150 gives information to the drivers 61 00:02:57,150 --> 00:02:59,580 of what's a safe way they can travel. 62 00:02:59,580 --> 00:03:02,610 So we're moving forward towards having something 63 00:03:02,610 --> 00:03:04,980 that FHWA will approve. 64 00:03:04,980 --> 00:03:06,420 - We have currently have eight 65 00:03:06,420 --> 00:03:09,330 or nine tasks that we're working on this year, 66 00:03:09,330 --> 00:03:12,270 also helping Tex DOT with items, dealing with signs, 67 00:03:12,270 --> 00:03:15,030 payment markings, devices, and work zones. 68 00:03:15,030 --> 00:03:17,460 We continue to see our findings 69 00:03:17,460 --> 00:03:20,550 implemented quickly in the field, and so you probably, 70 00:03:20,550 --> 00:03:22,890 as you're driving down the road today, have seen something 71 00:03:22,890 --> 00:03:26,010 that we have implemented as a result of this project. 72 00:03:26,010 --> 00:03:27,180 - [Narrator] For more information 73 00:03:27,180 --> 00:03:29,580 and to find the publication for this project, 74 00:03:29,580 --> 00:03:31,920 please visit the Tex DOT Research Library 75 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:33,123 at the link shown below.