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Enhance Roadway Features
Roadway and intersection features such as the number and width of traffic lanes including turn lanes, the presence of shoulders as well as the type and width of shoulders, median width, traffic control devices, pavement markings, roadside hardware devices and traffic volumes all can either contribute to the enhanced safety performance of a roadway or increase the risk of severe crashes and add to the potential for safety improvement. With Roadway Departure and Intersections as emphasis areas in the Illinois SHSP, opportunities to eliminate these types of severe crash through engineering safety analysis and roadway safety infrastructure improvements are pursued. The department has implemented strategies such as:
Median Cable Rail. Median crossover crashes are a form of roadway departure crashes and occur when a motorist leaves the lane of travel, crosses the divided median, and hits an approaching vehicle head-on. The installation of median cable rail is a crash tested roadside hardware device that has been extremely effective at reducing the occurrence of median crossover crashes. See the attached video for more information.
Centerline and Shoulder Rumble Strips/Rumble Stripes. Roadway departure crashes that are a result of distracted, fatigued, and impaired driving can be reduced with the installation of both milled-in centerline and shoulder rumble strips/rumble stripes. The vibration and resulting noise when a vehicle hits the rumble strips alerts the driver if leaving the lane of travel and if in the case of crossing the roadway centerline, centerline rumble strips. To learn more, please navigate to the Rumble Strips and Rumble Stripeswebsite.
Chevrons and Advanced Warning Signs. Curves represent 10 percent of the total severe injury and fatal crashes in Illinois and over 30 percent of the roadway departure crashes. The installation of chevrons and advance warning signs guide motorists through curves, and are even more effective at night and can potentially reduce these severe crashes by 40 percent. Systemic safety improvements that address multiple locations on the roadway network across the state have been effective, particularly on lower volume rural roadways. To learn more, please navigate to the Horizontal Curve Safety website.