This study estimates the effectiveness of passenger vehicle daytime running lights in reducing two-vehicle opposite direction crashes, pedestrian/bicycle crashes and motorcycle crashes. The author chose the generalized simple odds, a conventional statistical technique, to analyze the data.

This report was one in a series of pedestrian safety synthesis reports prepared for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to document pedestrian safety in other countries. This report is a review of recent pedestrian safety research in Sweden (in particular) with some attention to similar research in other Scandinavian countries. The report states that even in Sweden, where attention has long been paid to pedestrian and bicyclists concerns, even so, still too much traffic planning is addressed as if it were a vehicular issue only.

This report was one in a series of pedestrian safety synthesis reports prepared for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to document pedestrian safety in other countries. This report is a review of recent pedestrian safety research in the Netherlands. It addresses several topics, reporting findings and providing a comprehensive list of references. Topics addressed include: Pedestrian crossings and traffic calming measures: Here research is reviewed on pedestrian crossings; along with other research pertaining to infrastructure changes in the form of traffic calming. Children and the elderly: One study shows that children are now less likely to walk to school than in earlier times because of parental concern for their safety. Measures for increasing safety of elderly pedestrians are also presented. Disabled pedestrians: Discussion is included concerning hardware and infrastructure that perhaps could be made in order to give better consideration to pedestrians with some kind of disability. Passenger car front-end structure: Discussion is presented as to the role of the car's structural properties as it influences injury severity in a collision with a pedestrian.

This report presents operational and safety findings and countermeasure recommendations from a comparative analysis of bicycle lanes (BLs) versus wide curb lanes (WCLs). The primary analysis was based on videotapes of almost 4,600 bicyclists in the cities of Santa Barbara, CA, Gainesville, FL, and Austin, TX. The videotapes were coded to learn about operational characteristics (e.g., intersection approach position and subsequent maneuvers) and conflicts with motor vehicles, other bicycles, or pedestrians.

This report was one of a series of Pedestrian safety synthesis reports prepared for the Federal Highway administration (FHWA) to document pedestrian safety in other countries. This is a review of recent research on pedestrian safety carried out in the United Kingdom. A comprehensive list of references is provided. The report covers many types of pedestrian facilities, the UK pedestrian safety record, as well as some education and enforcement matters. The report cites an access document with adequate references to allow further investigation of specific areas, and some commentary on research and implementation.

Procedures and criteria described here are applicable to the design and construction of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) pavement (RCCP). Roller-compacted concrete pavement employs a concrete paving technology that involves laydown and compaction of a zero-slump concrete mixture using equipment similar to that used in placement and compaction of asphaltic concrete pavement. By using these construction techniques, the potential exists to save one-third or more of the cost of conventional concrete pavement. Although the concept and technology behind RCCP is relatively new, RCCP has already proven itself cost-effective in projects including log-sorting yards, port facilities, heavy equipment parking areas, tank trails, and haul roads.

This report describes the development of WinSMASH2010, an extensive update and enhancement to the WinSMASH crash reconstruction code. The specific objectives were (1) to correct known programming bugs in the original WinSMASH, (2) convert the code from the obsolete Delphi language to C-Sharp to allow future upgrades, and (3) to enhance WinSMASH accuracy by implementing an automated method of selecting vehicle specific stiffness coefficients.

This book introduces the basics of safety needs identification, countermeasure selection, and implementation of treatments designed to reduce the number of roadway crashes and resulting injuries and fatalities. It describes the current state of the practice and research regarding finding roadway safety issues, choosing treatments, and implementing their installation. The book also focuses on crashes occurring at intersections, work zones, and as the result of a lane departure.

In this project, the research team evaluated the performance of Permeable Friction Courses (PFC) over time and compared it against other types of wearing surface pavement layers. Several pavement sections including Asphalt Rubber (AR) PFCs, Performance Graded (PG) PFCs, and dense-graded Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) were monitored over a four-year period. Non-destructive on-site measurements included noise, drainability, texture, friction, and skid. The change of these variables with time as well as the influence of traffic, binder/mixture type, aggregate classification, and climatic region was evaluated. Accident data were also gathered and analyzed on a more comprehensive number of pavement sections across Texas. All of this information was compiled in database format. In addition, when performance issues were identified, field cores were acquired for forensic evaluation. Results from the multiyear performance data analysis and previous research were used to produce guidelines and recommendations to improve the design, construction, and maintenance of PFCs.

The purpose of this report is to analyze the crash-reduction benefits of LED stop lamps and LED center high-mounted stop lamps (CHMSL) using real-world crash data.

This report provides guidance and better practice recommendations to the NPS for selecting pavement surfaces to minimize tire-pavement noise. The report contains an overview of common technologies and methods for quieter pavements, descriptions of research and quieter pavement specifications developed by several state agencies, and a directory of state agency noise and materials/pavement engineers. A brief introduction to some of the fundamentals of tire-pavement noise is included in an appendix.

The objective of this project is to investigate the data quality measures and how they are applied to travel time prediction. This project showcases a short term travel time prediction method that takes into account the data needs of the real time

This report is a statistical evaluation of the fatality- and injury-reducing effectiveness of the energy-absorbing materials in vehicles without head-protection air bags. (NHTSA previously evaluated the effectiveness of head-protection air bags in 2007.2) In one sense, this report evaluates a specific technological approach (energy-absorbing materials without air bags) that is already phasing out. But the energy-absorbing materials, themselves, will not be phasing out; they will continue to appear in new vehicles to protect occupants in crashes where the air bags do not deploy or perhaps at locations not covered by the air bags. More generally, the report investigates whether a technology demonstrated to have reduced HIC measured on headforms in laboratory testing is likewise effective in reducing the head injuries of people in crashes.

Red light running is one of the major causes of crashes, deaths, and injuries at signalised intersections. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) support a comprehensive approach to intersection safety that incorporates engineering, education, and enforcement countermeasures to prevent red light running and improve intersection safety. Red light cameras can be a very effective countermeasure to prevent red light running. There are a number of studies that indicate reduction in crashes at signalised intersections due to red light cameras. The fundamental objective of the research in this book is to determine the effectiveness of RLC systems in reducing crashes. A description of all project efforts is described in this book.

The report details how NHTSA produces these lives saved estimates for seat belts and frontal air bags. The methodology is described in detail, including the use of effectiveness ratings for seat belts and frontal air bags. Seat belt effectiveness ratings vary according to the seat belt type (i.e., 3-point belt versus 2-point lap belt), vehicle type, occupant seating position, and occupant age. Frontal air bag effectiveness ratings are consistent for all passenger vehicles. The interactions of the effectiveness of seat belts and the effectiveness of frontal air bags are discussed in this report.

The first generation of frontal air bags saved the lives of thousands of drivers and adult or teenage right front passengers. But they harmed occupants positioned close to the air bag at the time of deployment, especially infants and children. In 1998-1999, air bags were redesigned by depowering - by removing some of the gas-generating propellant or stored gas from their inflators - and/or by reducing the volume or rearward extent of air bags, positioning them further from occupants, tethering and hybrid inflators. NHTSA facilitated the redesign by permitting a sled test in lieu of a barrier impact to certify that air bags would protect an unrestrained occupant ("sled certification"). Statistical analyses of crash data through 2004 from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and the Special Crash Investigations (SCI) compare fatality risk with sled-certified and first-generation air bags.

Three factors -- project funding sources and project characteristics, and whether a state allows the adoption of federal review documents generally determine whether a highway project needs a federal environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or a state environmental review under state law, or both. This book focuses on environmental reviews of highway projects in states with SEPAs and addresses factors determining whether federal or state environmental reviews are required; how state and federal review requirements compare; and the extent of any duplication in federal and state reviews, including frequency and cost. This book also discusses the role of the environmental review process in federally funded highway projects.

Run-off-road (ROR) crashes, which usually involve only a single vehicle, contribute to a large portion of fatalities and serious injuries to motor vehicle occupants. In this study, the National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey (NMVCCS) data collected at crash scenes between 2005 and 2007 is used to identify the ROR critical pre-crash event, assess the critical reason for the ROR critical event, and examine associated factors present in the pre-crash phase of the ROR crash. The effect of antilock brake system (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC) on ROR crashes is also evaluated.

This report highlights the major State-level accomplishments since 2005 in improving data systems used in traffic safety decision making. A nationwide assessment of traffic records system improvements solicited information from all NHTSA regions and all States plus the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. States were asked to report data quality improvement efforts taking place during the years following passage of the Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) in 2005. The project was designed to identify improvements in crash, roadway, driver, vehicle, citation/adjudication, and injury surveillance datasets-the six major components of State traffic records systems. Improvements were sought in the data quality attributes of timeliness, accuracy, completeness, consistency, integration, and accessibility. State projects with quantitative measures showing data quality improvement are highlighted. Additional projects with qualitative evidence of data quality improvement are also described. Several States are listed as pursuing promising practices and the most effective of these are recommended for promotion to the traffic safety and traffic records community.

This publication provides an introduction to condition surveys, maintenance and repair of street and roadway pavements.