TRAFFIC SAFETY STUDIES IN SMALLER COMMUNITIES

THE PURPOSE OF A TRAFFIC SAFETY STUDY IS TO DETERMINE LOCATIONS OF UNUSUAL HAZARD AND TO DEVELOP MEASURES FOR TREATMENT. IN MANY STATES, FEDERAL SAFETY GRANTS HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE ON A 50-50 MATCHING BASIS FOR VARIOUS HIGHWAY STUDIES INCLUDING IDENTIFICATION AND SURVEILLANCE OF HIGH ACCIDENT LOCATIONS. THE GRANTS REPRESENT AN EXCELLENT AID TO COMMUNITIES OF ALL SIZES IN ACHIEVING A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF TRAFFIC SAFETY NEEDS. HIGH ACCIDENT FREQUENCIES OCCUR AT CERTAIN COMMERCIAL DRIVEWAYS, DIFFERENT TYPES OF STREETS, AND ON MAJOR INTERSECTIONS. POSSIBLE TREATMENTS FOR SUCH CONDITIONS INCLUDE CONSOLIDATIONS OF ACCESS POINTS, WIDENINGS OF NARROW DRIVEWAYS, INCREASED RADII, RESTRICTIONS OF LEFT TURN EXIT AND, IN SOME CASES, EVEN WIDENING OF THE ROUTE AND INSTALLATION OF LEFT TURN BAYS. SOMETINES TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROL IS JUSTIFIED AT SHOPPING CENTERS, INDUSTRIAL PLANTS AND HIGH SCHOOLS. IN THE SMALLER COMMUNITIES, MUCH OF THE WORK CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY POLICE AND PUBLIC WORKS PERSONNEL. THIS REDUCES THE SURVEY COST, AT THE SAME TIME THAT IT PROVIDES ON-THE-JOB TRAINING IN STUDY TECHNIQUES SUCH AS STREET CLASSIFICATION, ACCIDENT REPORT FILING, COLLISION DIAGRAM PREPARATION AND EVEN THE BASICS OF ACCIDENT ANALYSIS. /AUTHOR/