Seven Experiment Designs Addressing Problems of Safety and Capacity on Two-Lane Rural Highways : Volume 1. Introduction, Description of Experiments and Common Elements

1978PDFTech ReportDOT-TSC-FHWA-78-02-1;PB-284 402Highway safetyTraffic flowTraffic speedRural highwaysHighway traffic controlOperating costsSlow moving vehiclesDivided highwaysPassingTwo lane highwaysCapacityMaineUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationKing, G. F.Abramson, P.Cohen, J. W.Wilkinson, M. R.John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, (U.S.)NTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATIONNTL-OPERATIONS AND TRAFFIC CONTROLS-OPERATIONS AND TRAFFIC CONTROLSNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-SAFETY AND SECURITYNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Highway SafetyVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference Center;Federal Highway AdministrationThe present report, consisting of eight volumes, details the designs for seven experiments to be performed at or near the Maine Facility of the US Department of Transportation. Rural two-lane roads are important in terms of extent, usage, and accident rate. Conditions such as on-coming traffic, slow vehicles on a grade and restricted passing opportunities tend to lower average vehicle speed, correspondingly increasing travel time and irritating the driver. Situations of this kind may cause a driver to make unsafe passing attempts, tailgate or overtake a slow vehicle at high speeds. The primary problem is how to increase safety, improve traffic flow, and lower operating costs without incurring major capital expenditures to rebuild and upgrade existing roads