Two Low-Cost Safety Concepts for Two-Way,Stop-Controlled Intersections in Rural Areas

Abstract

FHWA's Office of Safety has identified intersections as one of its safety focus areas. As part of FHWA's efforts to reduce intersection crashes and related injuries and fatalities, two low-cost concepts have been identified: (a) lane narrowing on major road intersection approaches and (b) installing channelizing islands and supplemental stop signs on minor road intersection approaches. With the cooperation of several transportation agencies, these strategies were deployed at a limited number of sites in the United States; specifically, the concepts were deployed at two-lane, two-way, stop-controlled intersections. Positive operational and safety effects were observed with the installation of the two strategies. The lane-narrowing concept was shown to significantly reduce speeds and crashes on the major road approaches. The average speed reductions for all vehicles (3.5 mph) and for trucks only (4.4 mph) were statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Total, fatal and injury-only, and angle crashes were reduced after deployment, but only the reduction in fatal and injury-only crashes was significant at the 95% confidence level. The minor road channelizing concept is shown to improve driver compliance with traffic control and to reduce speeds and crashes on minor approaches. The average speed reductions on minor approaches (nearly 10 mph) were statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. The crash rate for total, fatal and injury-only, angle, and rear-end crashes decreased after deployment.

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