Study Details
Study Title: Eliminating Cross-Median Fatalities: Statewide Installation of Median Cable Barrier in Missouri
Authors: Chandler
Publication Date: 2007
Abstract: Missouri awarded the first contracts for highway construction under U.S. Interstate funding in 1956. The state boasts 17 Interstate highways, with Interstate 70 the most heavily traveled. I-70 is an east-west route connecting the state's two largest metropolitan areas, Kansas City and St. Louis. Construction of I-70 followed the standards of the day and has provided a safe and efficient freeway for 50 years. The 1950s standards that applied to the original Interstate roadways now must reckon with 80,000- pound commercial vehicles and hundreds of thousands of vehicles traveling at 70 miles per hour. Although the rural Interstate system is the safest in the nation in terms of crash rate, the high speeds and ever-increasing traffic volumes contribute to the loss of thousands of lives each year nationwide. To combat this threat, safety professionals at the Missouri Department of Transportation (DOT) analyzed crash data to determine crash types and locations. A Missouri DOT internal report identified cross-median crashes on Interstates as a category to address, with hundreds of motorists endangered in the state each year. Concern about cross-median crashes is increasing nationwide. Missouri researchers observed that as high-speed Interstate volumes increase, the likelihood of severe crashes also increases. Thirty years ago, a driver crossing the median had a good chance of crossing over the opposing lanes without conflict. Today, according to Missouri data, a motorist crossing the median is more likely to collide with another vehicle, and the chances are high that the opposing vehicle will be a large truck. Because several vehicles often are involved, traveling in opposite directions, the crashes cause multiple fatalities and disabling injuries.
Study Citation: Chandler, B., "Eliminating Cross-Median Fatalities: Statewide Installation of Median Cable Barrier in Missouri." TR News, No. 248, Washington, D.C., Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, (2007) pp. 29-31.
CMFs Associated With This Study
Category: Roadside
Countermeasure: Install median barrier (cable)
| CMF | CRF(%) | Quality | Crash Type | Crash Severity | Roadway Type | Area Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.08 | 92 |  | Head on | K | Principal Arterial Interstate | Rural |
