us.Deportmeos 

ol lfCJ'1SPO'tOtion 

Federal Highway

Administration 

Memorandum 

Subject: ACTI ON: ln fomrntion on Guardrail 

Terminals 

Date: MJ\Y - 3 2017 

From: ElizabetbAJicandri 

Associate Administrator. Office of Safety 

Washington DC 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSA- 1 

To: Division Administrators 

Directors of field Services 

Summa ry 

You may be aware that we have received a request Lo re-examine the Fl IWA Federal Aid 

eligibility letter on Lindsay's X-UTE guardrail te1111inal. We arc coordinating with your 

offices and States lo collect more data and information Lo fLU1 her assess the in service 

performance of roadside hardware. including the X-LITE. 

Purpose 

The purpose of this memorandum is 10 share with you a summary or information recently 

collected from the S1ates. inforn1 you or the current status of the X-LITE in terms of the 

FH\VA eligibility lellcr. and request your assistance with follow-up actions. We ask that 

you share this information with your state partners as we in Headquancrs plan to send 

similar infonnation to the State DOT CEOs and to discuss it at the next American 

Association of State I lighway and Transportation Onicials' (AASHTO's) Standing 

Committee on Highways meeting in May 20 17. 

Summa ry of Info rma tion CoJlection and Review 

As you kno"'" Fl IWA issues Federal aid reimbursement eligibiliLy lcuers on roadside 

sarety devices based on accredited laboratory crash test results. As a first step in response 

Lo the requests to review information 011 the X-LITE. an FHWA expert who had not 

previously been involved in reviewing the X-LITE testing results examined the original 

applications and related materials for the Lindsay X-LITE guardrail terminal. That 

analysis confirmed thm the original laboratory crash testing for the device was performed 

in accordance with the NalionaJ Coopcralivc Highway Research Program 350 Report 

guidance, the criteria for crashworthincss testing a l the time the device was found eligible 

for reimbursement. The expert found no notable concerns with Lhc original crash test 

report. 
2 

We have also examined the most rigorous in-service data that we have to date -- the 

preliminary results of a pilot In-Service Performance Evaluation. Under the pilot, FHW A 

and the four states (MO, CA, MA and PA) are evaluating 9 energy absorbing guardrail 

terminals, including the Lindsay X-LITE. In considering the 200-plus crashes, the ratio of 

Fatality+ Serious Injury per total crashes does not lead to any conclusions that any ofthe 

devices, including the Lindsay X-LITE, are unsafe. This finding does not replace the inservice experiences that SDOTs can contribute. 

As a third step, and because SOOT information on in-service performance is so important, 

on April 11th, I sent an email to all FHWA Division Administrators asking for input on 

the States' usage of and experience with a particular guardrail terminal - the Lindsay XLITE. We appreciate your responses, and understand that in some cases the numbers you 

provided were estimates. 

Results from SOOT Information: 

We received baseline information on the X-LITE from all 52 States (including DC and 

PR) and have determined that, nationwide, although 33 States have the XLITE on their 

qualified products list, only 29 States have the device installed on state-owned roadways. 

With a total of about 14,000 devices nationwide, over 80 percent ofthe X-LITE Devices 

are found in 7 States (WV, MA, TN, MD, TX, NC and VA). 

Additionally, six States reported that they have removed the X-LITE from their Qualified 

Product List (QPL): (GA, MO, OR, TN, VA, and AZ). States that shared a reason for 

removing the device from the QPL indicated they were moving to devices that are 

compliant with AASHTO's Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). Five States 

indicated they are in the process ofgathering information on the X-LITE and three States 

expressed some concerns with the device, including constructability challenges and 

overall quality concerns. 

To conclude our review and to ensure that engage all State DOTs on this issue, we 

request your assistance with the following actions: 

1. Share this memorandum with your State partners immediately and reinforce the 

importance ofthis safety-related issue. In your communication with the State DOT, 

please inform them that our Acting FHW A Deputy Administrator is sending a similar 

letter to their Chief Executive Officer. 

2. Engage the SOOT to ascertain if they have and/or plan to collect and analyze ISPE 

information on roadside hardware. Report information back to my office by May 19, 

2017. 

3. Ask the State DOT to formally share with us any in-service concerns they have with 

particular roadside hardware. We have already posted a letter we received from 

Tennessee on the website in the attachment, and we will post others as they are received. 

Lacking formal ISPEs, this will serve as an initial clearinghouse for In-Service 

Performance Information that States can use when making their decision on roadside 

safety hardware. 

4. Work with the SOOT to conduct an analysis oftheir installation and maintenance 

practices, and report back your findings by May 19, 2017. 
... 

.) 

5. Share feedback eilher directly with my ortice and/or through the Division Administrators 

Advisory Group on Snfcty. l r Fl IWA can do more lo assist. we wnnt to hear about it. 

6. Encourage States to leverage current and future training etnd technical assistance 

opportunities highlighted in the enclosure. Discuss their possible interest in a pooled 

fund. central clearinghouse, and/or other an-angemcnl that may serve as a resource on 

ISPEs or other roadside hardware safety issues. 

Please send your responses and/or lccdback to Menna Yassin. 202-366-2833. 

mcnna.yassin@dot.uov. 

In the attachment. I have prO\'ided ndditiom1l information including: 

the importance receiving of In-Service Performance Jnformation from the States: 

the importance of rigor in hardware installation and maintenance: and 

the link to a ne\\' resource relevant resources and infom1ation 

Thank you for your attention to this important rnallcr. I look forward to continuing our 

dialogue to make our roads saJer. 
4 

Enclosure 

Need for In-Service Performance Information 

Detennining the initial crashworthiness of roadside hardware begins with rigorous laboratory 

testing, using very specific vehicles, installations, impact speeds and angles. This controlled 

testing provides industry, accredited laboratories and public agencies with a minimum level of 

assurance that the devices meet a basic standard of crashworthiness, as defined by AASHTO's 

MASH. However, all parties know the standard, idealized laboratory crash test conditions 

cannot capture how a device perfonns in the vast array of real-world collisions. For these 

reasons, FHW A and AASHTO encourage the owners and operators ofthe highways to collect 

and assess ISPE data of roadside hardware and take appropriate action thereafter, if needed. 

We cannot overemphasize the importance of the ISPE. In 1993, the National Cooperative 

Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350, Recommended Procedures for the Safety 

Performance Evaluation ofHighway Features, was published and included a chapter dedicated 

to ISPE. A subsequent NCHRP Report 490, In-Service Performance ofTraffic Barriers. was 

published in 2002 and provides detailed instructions and tools for conducting ISPEs. Similarly, 

AASHTO's MASH initially distributed in 2007, and updated in 2016, communicates the 

importance of ensuring roadside hardware devices are functioning properly in real world 

conditions. Finally, an AASHTO-FHWA task force published a report in 2015 on Guardrail 

Terminal Crash Analysis. This document recommended ISPEs be perfonned at the national and 

state level and suggested that public agencies carefully document guardrail crashes. 

In addition to the 4 State Pilot ISPE targeted for completion in 2019, FHWA can and will 

provide new infonnation to States on ISPEs in the next quarter. We plan to develop and deliver 

webinars and tools that support a range of State efforts in collecting and assessing ISPE data. 

Importance of Rigor in Hardware Installation and Maintenance 

The technical documents cited above, and fact that ISPEs are an important piece of our 

infonnation stream, highlight the importance of proper installation and maintenance of devices. 

FHW A has, and will continue to, provide technical support to local, State, Federal and tribal 

organizations that own and are ultimately responsible for the installation, maintenance, and 

inspection ofroadside hardware. 

Since 2010, FHW A had made available State-specific training on roadside hardware design, 

inspection, and maintenance. My office issued a memorandum in November 2016 on guardrail 

terminal installations and repairs and requested that you share this information with your State 

partners. 

To date, we have conducted training in 15 states. In the Fixing America's Surface 

Transportation (FAST) Act (Sec 1417), we received additional funds to expand guardrail safety 

training. New, state tailored training will be made available beginning with two initial offerjngs 

in the 4th quarter followed by an aggressive delivery schedule in FYI 8. We anticipate a total of 

23 States will receive the individualized, classroom training by the end of 2019. In addition, 

these FAST Act funds will support the development and distribution ofother technical assistance 

materials supporting guardrail inspection, maintenance, and installation. 
5 

Reso urces 

In an effort to promote States' collection and analysis of ISPE information and use of guardrail 

system installation and maintenance train ing opportunities and resources, please direct our 

stakeholders to 

https://safety .fhwa.dot.gov/roadway dept/countermeasures/reduce crash severity/g uardra ii ispe. cfm. 

Information on that site includes. but is not limited to: 

• NCHRP Reports on conducting ISPEs; 

• CuLTent data/information from the four state Pilot IS PE; 

• Guardrail installation and maintenance training opportunities 

o webinars, technical briefs, inspection checklists; technical assistance products and 

services from FHWA's Office ofTechnical Services) 

• Information from State DOTs on in-service performance information