Utility Pole Safety and Hazard Evaluation Approaches (2020) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 137-146
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From page 137... ...
F-1 A P P E N D I X F Example of Recommended Crash Reduction Program and Roadside Safety Treatments C Paul Scott CRASH REDUCTION PROGRAM A concentration of crashes at a site or in a small area, or a certain type of crash that seems to occur over and over in a given jurisdiction, may indicate that the highway/utility system is contributing to crash potential.
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From page 138... ...
F-2 Utility Pole Safety and Hazard Evaluation Approaches At the same time the crash data are being gathered, it may be appropriate to gather information on traffic volumes, speed limits (regulatory and advisory) , roadway configurations, roadway and shoulder conditions, street or pavement widths, shoulder widths, right-of-way widths, pavement slopes and superelevation, distances of poles from the edge of pavement, locations of adjacent structures or trees, and other geometric data for sites where crashes have involved utility facilities.
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From page 139... ...
Example of Recommended Crash Reduction Program and Roadside Safety Treatments F-3 crashes, the number procedure may suffice. For statewide studies, the rate–quality control feature may be best.
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F-4 Utility Pole Safety and Hazard Evaluation Approaches assigning cost savings due to decreased crash costs. Agencies such as the National Safety Council and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration periodically publish estimates of crash costs.
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Example of Recommended Crash Reduction Program and Roadside Safety Treatments F-5 • Reduce the number of poles. • Reduce impact severity by using an appropriate breakaway device.
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F-6 Utility Pole Safety and Hazard Evaluation Approaches INCREASED LATERAL OFFSET Both crash rate and crash severity will decrease when utility poles are moved farther from the travelway. Ideally, the poles can be placed at the right-of-way line and outside the clear zone.
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From page 143... ...
Example of Recommended Crash Reduction Program and Roadside Safety Treatments F-7 Also, using bigger, taller poles is not a simple solution. In most cases, pole spacing is dictated by conductor size and characteristics and by codes and conductor spacing/clearance requirements.
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From page 144... ...
F-8 Utility Pole Safety and Hazard Evaluation Approaches Another way to shield a vehicle from striking a utility pole is to use a crash cushion, which functions by collapsing upon impact and slowing the vehicle at a controlled rate. A crash cushion is normally used where there is an isolated fixed object hazard.
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From page 145... ...
Example of Recommended Crash Reduction Program and Roadside Safety Treatments F-9 Whenever possible, utility corrective work should be handled in conjunction with highway or utility upgrading and during utility rehabilitation projects to minimize the overall cost of the program. Typical results of a field review are a series of recommendations for potential treatments.
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From page 146... ...
F-10 Utility Pole Safety and Hazard Evaluation Approaches drudgery of calculating the anticipated number of crashes; making adjustments for the various types of crashes in the clear zone; and estimating the expected cost of treatment, expected total reduction in crashes, expected cost savings, and other predictions needed to evaluate the effect of the treatment. The software is now marketed by the McTrans Center in the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Florida.
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