U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
Rural Roadway Departure Countermeasure Pocket Guide
FoRRRwD Countermeasures Poster
The Four Pillars of FoRRRwD Brochures:
Systemic Analysis Infographic – How Healthy is Your Road System?
Local Road Safety Plans Infographic – LRSPs Your Map to Safer Roadways
Driving FoRRRwD to a Safe System
Low Cost Safety Improvements: Longitudinal Pavement Markings
Low Cost Safety Improvements: Unpaved Roads
Rumble Strips: The Sweet Sound of Safety
Curve Signing: Proper Chevron Spacing
Curve Signing: Proper Placement in the Field
High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST) on Local Roads
Continuous Pavement Friction Measurement
Systemic Analysis: How Healthy is your Road System?
3 Approaches to Address Severe Roadway Crashes
Local Road Safety Plan Overview
Local Road Safety Plans – a California Case Study
FoRRRwD on All Public Roads: Our Path to Zero
EDC-5 FoRRRwD Orientation Webinar
Driving FoRRRwD with the Pillars
Taking Action to Reduce Rural Roadway Departures Systemically
Identification of Risk Factors for Roadway Departure Crashes
Prioritizing Locations and Projects
You Have Crash Data, Now What?
Systemic Approach to Safety: Highlights from 5 Peer Exchanges
Streamlining HSIP Project Delivery
Moving FoRRRwD with Safety Action Plans: Statewide, Regional, and Local
Development of Projects and Using Data
Innovative Mechanisms to Deliver Safety Projects
Introduction to Roadway Departure (RwD) for Tribes
RwD in Tribal Areas: Keeping Drivers in Their Lanes
RwD in Tribal Areas: When Vehicles Leave the Road
High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST) and Continuous Pavement Friction Measurement (CPFM)
Signing, Striping, and Maintenance Treatments
Have you Considered the Humble Rumble?
Gravel Road Treatments, Rumble Strips and SafetyEdge, and Center Line Buffer Areas
Driving FoRRRwD to Reduce Curve Crashes with Signing and Markings
Fall 2020 – Moving FoRRRwD: Focus on Reducing Rural Roadway Departures
Winter 2021 – Reducing Rural Roadway Departures: Moving FoRRRwD, Part II
Summer 2021 – Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) Development in California
Summer 2021 – Contributing Factors for Focus Crash and Facility Types
Winter 2021 – HFST Recommendations Report Now Available
Winter 2021 – FHWA Launches Local Road Safety Plan Do-It-Yourself Website
Fall 2020 – Reducing Roadway Departures in Tribal Areas
Summer 2020 – Moving FoRRRwD Together
Winter 2020 – Systemic Safety Improvements on Rural Roadways on the Lake Transverse Reservation
Winter 2020 – Low-Cost Safety Countermeasures: Small Changes Make a Big Difference on Rural Roads
Spring 2019 – Bringing Attention to the Rural Roadway Departure Challenge
Fall 2018 – Two Safety Innovations Take the Stage in EDC-5
July/Aug 2021 – Driving FoRRRwD: Tools for Reducing Rural Roadway Departures
Nov/Dec 2020 – Innovation Synergy: High-Friction Surface Treatments Reduce Roadway Departures
Nov/Dec 2020 – States Innovate: Ohio Township Safety Sign Program Reduces Crashes
July/Aug 2020 – Driving FoRRRwD to Reduce Rural Roadway Departures
Sept/Oct 2019 – Moving FoRRRwD to Reduce Rural Roadway Departures
October 28, 2021 – High-Friction Surface Treatment EDC Storyboard: Helping Drivers Get a Grip
October 14, 2021 – New Resources Help Agencies Properly Install Chevron Signs
July 29, 2021 – LTAPS Provide Assistance to Move Local Agencies FoRRRwD
July 22, 2021 – Kansas DOT Targets Safety Funds to Local System and Sees Fatality Reduction
July 15, 2021 – Alabama DOT Uses Safety Action Plans to Combat Rural Roadway Departures
July 8, 2021 – SWO Tribe Adopts FoRRRwD Approach for Rural Road Safety
July 1, 2021 – North Dakota DOT Assists Local Agencies to Reduce Severe Crashes
May 20, 2021 – NCDOT Evaluates Durable Pavement Markings
April 29, 2021 – High Friction Surface Treatment Pilot in Arizona Sees Positive Results
March 4, 2021 – ALDOT and Elmore County Complete First Local Road Safety Plan
February 11, 2021 – FoRRRwD Training Trading Cards Now Available in Spanish
October 22, 2020 – Local Road Safety Plan D-I-Y site
October 1, 2020 – Minnesota County Installs HFST
August 27, 2020 – Innovation of the Month (Safety Action Plans)
August 20, 2020 – Innovation of the Month: (Systemic Approach)
August 13, 2020 – Innovation of the Month (Proven Countermeasures)
August 6, 2020 – Innovation of the Month (All Public Roads)
June 11, 2020 – Safety Circuit Rider Programs: A Life-Saver for Many Local Agencies
May 28, 2020 – MoDOTs Substantial Safety Commitment
April 30, 2020 – Caltrans Moves FoRRRwD to Improve Local Road Safety
April 16, 2020 – Curve Warning Sign Storyboard
March 12, 2020 – Virginia Systemic Safety Implementation Plan
January 30, 2020 – FoRRRwD and STEP training with LTAP's
September 26, 2019 – Innovation of the Month – All Pillars, Washington
September 19, 2019 – Innovation of the Month – Proven Countermeasures
September 12, 2019 – Innovation of the Month – Safety Action Plans, California
September 5, 2019 – Innovation of the Month – All Public Roads and Systemic, Minnesota
January 10, 2019 – Introduction
FoRRRwD is supported by four pillars that work together to reduce rural roadway departures on all roads. Click a pillar below to learn more.
Roadway departure crashes are a major problem on all public rural roads. More than 40 percent of them happen off State networks.
There are many flexible cost-effective countermeasures that are proven to reduce these crashes.
A fundamental challenge on rural roads is that roadway departure crash locations are random and change from year to year.
Documenting the systemic analysis into a simple safety action plan is a powerful way to prioritize safety improvements.
