USA Banner
  U.S. flag
              An official website of the United States government Here's how you knowOfficial US Government Icon
              **Official websites use .gov**A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
            Secure Site Icon
              **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                  A **lock** ( A locked padlock ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 
 U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation
 Search DOT
            Search
                    About FHWAFHWA Organization
                Headquarters Offices
                Field Offices
                Strategic Plan
                Business Opportunities
                Staff Directories
                Careers
                Highway History
                Contact UsProgramsAcquisition Management
                Civil Rights
                Federal Lands Highway
                Infrastructure
                Innovative Program Delivery
                Operations
                Planning, Environment, and Realty
                Policy
                Research, Development, and Technology
                Safety
                Browse by TopicsResourcesCore Highway Topics
                Federal Aid Essentials
                Automation
                Complete Streets
                Laws and Regulations
                Policy & Guidance Center
                Section 508
                Publications and Statistics
                Professional Development
                National Highway Institute
                Resource Center
                Accessibility Resource Library
                FHWA Research LibraryNewsroomPress Releases
                Speeches & Testimony
                Photos
                Videos
                Media ContactsMenu OFFICE OF RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND TECHNOLOGY AT THE TURNER-FAIRBANK HIGHWAY RESEARCH CENTER Home
                        Research


            
            In This Section
        Explore Research and Technology
                HSIS Home
                Program History
                                Background
                Participating States
                Laboratory
                PBCAT App
                                Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Analysis Tool
                Getting Started
                Crash Typing
                Features
                User Guide
                Support Images
                Products
                                Product Overview
                HSIS Summaries
                Research Reports
                Technical Summaries
                Journal Citations
                Safety Analysis Tools
                Other Products
                Data
                                Data Overview
                State Statistics
                Data Elements
                Guidebooks
                Resources
                Ongoing Research
                Contact
                Liaisons
                Site Map
                
                Safety Impacts of Pavement Edge Drop-offs
Publication Information
              Publication External Link:No link available
              Publication Type:Report
                      Abstract:In 1998, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approved its Strategic Highway Safety Plan. This plan was developed with the assistance of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Transportation Research Board (TRB). The goal of this plan is to reduce highway fatalities on our nations roadways by 5,000 to 7,000 each year to 1.0 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. This will be accomplished by the application of low-cost, proven countermeasures that, when implemented, will lead to a reduction in the number of motor vehicle crashes each year. To provide a structure for executing this plan, a 22-volume implementation guide has been developed under the direction and guidance of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP).

NCHRP is an agency of TRB. The guide, NCHRP Report 500: Guidance for Implementation of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan, addresses a specific type of collision in each volume. Examples include: Aggressive Driving Collisions, Collisions caused by Drivers with Suspended or Revoked Licenses, Collisions with Trees in Hazardous Locations, Head-On Collisions, Unsignalized Intersection Collisions, and Run-Off-Road Collisions. Each volume also gives guidance for the implementation of low-cost countermeasures proven to mitigate the specific collision addressed. For example, Volume 6: A Guide for Addressing Run-Off-Road Collisions, addresses countermeasures for mitigating the number and the severity of collisions caused by vehicles leaving the roadway. In this volume, one specific type of run-off-road collision addressed is a collision caused by a pavement edge drop-off. The research described in this report, Safety Impacts of Pavement Edge Drop-offs, focuses on the magnitude and severity of such collisions, evaluates federal and state guidance regarding when edge drop-offs should be addressed, and provides measures for the quantity and depth of edge drop-offs on representative rural two-lane roadways in the United States. This information is necessary and required for states and counties to determine the economic benefits from addressing pavement edge drop-offs, to understand the importance of this aspect of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan, and to subsequently focus the limited maintenance resources necessary to mitigate this roadway problem.

This report, and the preceding study, The Elimination or Mitigation of Hazards Associated with Pavement Edge Drop-offs During Roadway Resurfacing, by J. B. Humphreys and J. A. Parham, published in 1994, was initiated and primarily funded by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAAFTS) to reduce the injuries and loss of life annually occurring on our nations roadways. It contains, in Chapter 6, research initiated and funded by FHWA in support of the nations goals to improve traffic safety. This joint report is an important addition to the knowledge base necessary to quantify the safety and economic benefits derived from implementing a portion of the AASHTO Highway Strategic Plan  namely a reduction in crashes precipitated by pavement edge drop-offs.
              Publishing Date:September 2006
                                                  FHWA Program(s):Research
              Safety
              AMRP Program(s):Safety Data and Analysis
              FHWA Activities:Highway Safety Information System
              Subject Area:Safety and Human Factors U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

**Federal Highway Administration**

1200 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, SE

WASHINGTON, DC 20590

202-366-4000Subscribe to email updates
                    About
  

        
              About FHWA
                Careers
                Org Chart
                Staff Directories
                Work with UsPrograms
  

        
              Acquisition Management
                Civil Rights
                Federal Lands Highway
                Infrastructure
                Innovative Program Delivery
                Operations
                Planning, Environment, and Realty
                Policy
                Research, Development, and Technology
                SafetyPolicies, Rights, Legal
  

        
              About DOT
                Accessibility
                Budget and Performance
                Civil Rights
                FOIA
                Information Quality
                No FEAR Act
                Office of Inspector General
                Privacy Policy
                USA.gov
                Web Policies and Notices
                Web StandardsNews & Events
  

        
              Newsroom
                Press Releases
                Speeches & Testimony
                Media Contacts
                Connect with Us