Development of Tools for Evaluating the Safety Implications of Highway Design Decisions

Abstract

Highway safety is an ongoing concern to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). As part of its proactive commitment to improving highway safety, TxDOT is moving toward including quantitative safety analyses earlier in the project development process. The objectives of this research project are: (1) the development of safety design guidelines and evaluation tools to be used by TxDOT designers, and (2) the production of a plan for the incorporation of these guidelines and tools in the planning and design stages of the project development process. This document summarizes the research conducted and the findings for the initial three years of the project. This research included a review of the TxDOT design and safety evaluation process, identification of the safety information sources and needs, identification of the data needed to use selected safety evaluation tools, assessment of the applicability of accident modification factors for design evaluation, and calibration of selected safety evaluation tools for Texas application.