Stopping Sight Distance and Available Sight Distance: New Model and Reliability Analysis Comparison

Abstract

Stopping sight distance (SSD) is an important design criterion used in the geometry of highways and streets. Design guidance implies that SSD is used to ensure safety along the roadway. This paper reviews SSD design criteria and develops an updated model to improve consistency between available sight distance and SSD criteria found in geometric design policy. A new variable, the distance from the front of the car to the driver’s eye (L _front-eye), is used in the updated model. Distributional values for L _front-eye are determined. A method accounting for lighted (daytime and lighted nighttime) versus unlighted nighttime conditions is also discussed. A probabilistic analysis of vertical curve SSD uses Monte Carlo simulation. The results of this analysis are compared with the SSD model found in current geometric design policy. Possible values for L _front-eye that can be used in design guidance are proposed. Potential issues that should be investigated in future work are discussed.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

U.S. Department of Transportation. Engineering and Traffic Operations, Part 625: Design Standards for Highways, 1997.

A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, 6th ed. AASHTO, Washington, D.C., 2011.

Fambro

D. B.

, Fitzpatrick

, and Koppa

R. J.

. NCHRP Report 400: Determination of Stopping Sight Distances, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1997.

Porter

R. J.

, Donnell

E. T.

, and Mason

J. M.

. Geometric Design, Speed, and Safety. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2309, 2012, pp. 39–47. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.3141/2309-05.

Hall

J. W.

, and Turner

D. S.

. Development and Adoption of Early AASHO Design Criteria. Transportation Research Record, No. 1612, 1998, pp. 26–33. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.3141/1612-04.

Blanchard

A. H.

, and Drowne

H. B.

. Text-Book on Highway Engineering. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1914.

Agg

T. R.

The Construction of Roads and Pavements, 1st ed. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1916.

Agg

T. R.

The Construction of Roads and Pavements, 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1924.

Brightman

H. L.

Alignment and Grade as Affecting Location of the Modern Highway, 1926.

10.

Baldock

R. H.

Highway Design for Speeds Up to 100 Miles Per Hour. Engineering News Record, 1935, pp. 732–734.

11.

Report of Department of Highways for the Years 1935–1937. Department of Highways, Columbus, Ohio, 1938.

12.

A Policy on Sight Distance for Highways. AASHO, Washington, D.C., 1940.

13.

Gibbons

R. B.

, Medina

, Williams

, Du

, and Rakha

. NCHRP Web-Only Document 198: Sag Vertical Curve Design Criteria for Headlight Sight Distance, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 2012.

14.

Wood

J. S.

, and Donnell

E. T.

. Stopping Sight Distance and Horizontal Sightline Offsets at Horizontal Curves. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2436, 2014, pp. 43–50. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.3141/2436-05.

15.

Mauga

Extension of the AASHTO Model for Horizontal Sightline Offset to Apply to Beginnings and Ends of Simple Horizontal Curves. Presented at 92nd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 2013.

16.

Olsen

P. L.

, Cleveland

D. E.

, Fancher

P. S.

, Kostyniuk

L. P.

, and Schneider

L. W.

. NCHRP Report 270: Parameters Affecting Stopping Sight Distance, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1984.

17.

Fink

K. L.

, and Krammes

R. A.

. Tangent Length and Sight Distance Effects on Accident Rates at Horizontal Curves on Rural Two-Lane Highways. Transportation Research Record, No. 1500, 1995, pp. 162–168.

18.

Montella

Safety Evaluation of Curve Delineation Improvements: Empirical Bayes Observational Before-and-After Study. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2103, 2009, pp. 69–79. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.3141/2103-09.

19.

Agent

, Stamatiadis

, and Jones

. Development of Accident Reduction Factors. Kentucky Transportation Center, Lexington, Ky., 1996.

20.

Agent

, O’Connell

, Green

, Pigman

, Tollner

, and Thompson

. Development of Methodologies for Identifying High-Crash Locations and Prioritizing Safety Improvements. Kentucky Transportation Center, Lexington, Ky., 2003.

21.

Elvik

, Hoye

, Vaa

, and Sorensen

. The Handbook of Road Safety Measures. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Bingley, United Kingdom, 2009. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1108/9781848552517.

22.

Ibrahim

S. E. B.

, and Sayed

. Developing Safety Performance Functions Incorporating Reliability-Based Risk Measures. Accident Analysis and Prevention, Vol. 43, No. 6, 2011, pp. 2153–2159. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1016/j.aap.2011.06.006.

23.

Harwood

D. W.

, Hutton

J. M.

, Fees

, Bauer

K. M.

, Glen

, and Ouren

. NCHRP Report 783: Evaluation of the 13 Controlling Criteria for Geometric Design, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2014.

24.

Hauer

On Exposure and Accident Rate. Traffic Engineering and Control, Vol. 36, No. 3, 1995, pp. 134–138.

25.

Wood

J. S.

, and Porter

R. J.

. Safety Impacts of Design Exceptions on Nonfreeway Segments. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2358, 2013, pp. 29–37. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.3141/2358-04.

26.

Malyshkina

, and Mannering

. Empirical Assessment of the Impact of Highway Design Exceptions on the Frequency and Severity of Vehicle Accidents. Accident Analysis and Prevention, Vol. 42, No. 1, 2010, pp. 131–139. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1016/j.aap.2009.07.013.

27.

Stamatiadis

, Agent

, and Pigman

. Design Exceptions and Safety. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Highway Geometric Design, Chicago, Ill., 2005.

28.

Fitch

G. M.

, Blanco

, Morgan

J. F.

, and Wharton

. Driver Braking Performance to Surprise and Expected Events. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, Vol. 54, No. 24, 2010, pp. 2075–2080. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1177/154193121005402412.

29.

Schoettle

, Sivak

, Flannagan

M. J.

, and Kosmatka

W. J.

. A Market-Weighted Description of Low-Beam Headlighting Patterns in the US: 2004. Technical Report UMPTRI-2004-23. Ann Arbor, Mich., 2004.

30.

Burgess

, Toppen

, and Harris

. Vision and Operational Concept for Enabling Advanced Traveler Information Services Operational Concept. FHWA-JPO-12-052. FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2012.

31.

Bellinger

D. B.

, Budde

B. M.

, Machida

, Richardson

G. B.

, and Berg

W. P.

. The Effect of Cellular Telephone Conversation and Music Listening on Response Time in Braking. Transportation Research Part F, Vol. 12, No. 6, 2009, pp. 441–451. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1016/j.trf.2009.08.007.

32.

Philip

, Taillard

, Sagaspe

, Valtat

, Sanchez-Ortuno

, Moore

, Charles

, and Bioulac

. Age, Performance and Sleep Deprivation. Journal of Sleep Research, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2004, pp. 105–110. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2004.00399.x.

33.

Downey

L. A.

, King

, Papafotiou

, Swann

, Ogden

, Boorman

, and Stough

. The Effects of Cannabis and Alcohol on Simulated Driving: Influences of Dose and Experience. Accident Analysis and Prevention, Vol. 50, 2013, pp. 879–886. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1016/j.aap.2012.07.016.

34.

Moskowitz

, and Fiorentino

. A Review of the Literature on the Effects of Low Doses of Alcohol on Driving-Related Skill. DOT HS 809 028. NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2000.

35.

Kelly

, Darke

, and Ross

. A Review of Drug Use and Driving: Epidemiology, Impairment, Risk Factors, and Risk Perceptions. Drug and Alcohol Review, Vol. 23, No. 3, 2004, pp. 319–344. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1080/09595230412331289482.

36.

Drummer

O. H.

, Gerostamoulos

, Batziris

, Chu

, Caplehorn

, Robertson

M. D.

, and Swann

. The Involvement of Drugs in Drivers of Motor Vehicles Killed in Australian Road Traffic Crashes. Accident Analysis and Prevention, Vol. 36, No. 2, 2004, pp. 239–248. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1016/S0001-4575(02)00153-7.

37.

Dozza

What Factors Influence Drivers’ Response Time for Evasive Maneuvers in Real Traffic?

Accident Analysis and Prevention, Vol. 58, 2013, pp. 299–308. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1016/j.aap.2012.06.003.

38.

Green

“How Long Does It Take to Stop?” Methodological Analysis of Driver Perception-Brake Times. Transportation Human Factors, Vol. 2, No. 3, 2000, pp. 195–216. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1207/STHF0203_1.

39.

Roadside Design Guide. AASHTO. Washington, D.C., 2011.

40.

Neuman

T. R.

New Approach to Design for Stopping Sight Distance. Transportation Research Record, No. 1208, 1989, pp. 14–22.

41.

United States Vehicle Registration Data, Automobile Statistics and Trends. Hedges & Company. http://hedgescompany.com/automotive-market-research-statistics/auto-mailing-lists-and-marketing. Accessed Dec. 5, 2015.

42.

Human Engineering Design Data Digest. Human Factors Engineering Technical Advisory Group, U.S. Department of Defense, 2000.

43.

Sarhan

, and Hassan

. Three-Dimensional, Probabilistic Highway Design: Sight Distance Application. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2060, 2008, pp. 10–18. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.3141/2060-02.

44.

Sasidharan

, and Donnell

E. T.

. Propensity Scores-Potential Outcomes Framework to Incorporate Severity Probabilities in the Highway Safety Manual Crash Prediction Algorithm. Accident Analysis and Prevention, Vol. 71, 2014, pp. 183–193. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1016/j.aap.2014.05.017.

45.

Ismail

, and Sayed

. Risk-Based Highway Design: Case Studies from British Columbia, Canada. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2195, 2010, pp. 3–13. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.3141/2195-01.

46.

Ibrahim

S. E. B.

, Sayed

, and Ismail

. Methodology for Safety Optimization of Highway Cross-Sections for Horizontal Curves with Restricted Sight Distance. Accident Analysis and Prevention, Vol. 49, 2012, pp. 476–485. https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1016/j.aap.2012.03.016.