Safety Effects of Targeted Program to Improve Skid Resistance

Abstract

The safety impacts of improving pavement skid resistance were examined in this study by using data from New York State. The New York Department of Transportation runs a skid-accident reduction program that identifies sections of pavement with a high proportion of wet-road accidents, friction-tests these locations, and treats those with both a high proportion of wet-road accidents and low friction numbers. An empirical Bayes before–after study was conducted of locations that were treated under this program. The results indicate that this can be a highly cost-effective safety treatment for both intersections and road segments that warrant skid resistance improvement because of a high frequency of wet road accidents and low friction numbers.

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