Roadway Departure Safety: A Manual for Local Rural Road Owners

Description of Figure 1. Steps to Address Roadway Departure Safety

Step 1: Identify Roadway Departure Safety Issues (Manual: Section 2)

Safety issues can be identified by collecting crash history, roadway, and exposure information from the following sources:

• State and local crash databases
• Law enforcement crash reports and citations
• Observations by law enforcement or road maintenance crews
• Public notifications
• Hospital records
• State and local roadway databases
• Traffic count records

Step 2: Record Information for Safety Analysis (Manual: Table 1)

Compile information in a table that includes the source of the information, the type of problem, and other attributes of the crash, observation, or notification.

Steps 3 and 4: Data Analysis, Countermeasure Selection, and Installation

Depending on the approach, the order of data analysis, countermeasure selection, and countermeasure installation steps may vary. Approaches are (1) spot location approach and systematic approach (crash type focus) and (2) systematic approach (countermeasure focus).