Effectiveness of Sealed Shoulders and Audible Edge Lines in Western Australia

Objective: Sealing of road shoulders and installation of audible edge lines (also known as rumble strips or audio tactile profiled edges) are common engineering road treatments, often implemented to prevent run-off-road crashes. This quasi-experimental study evaluated the effectiveness of installing...

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Main Authors: Meuleners, Lynn, Hendrie, Delia, Lee, Andy
Format: Journal Article
Published: Taylor & Francis 2011
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/12363
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author Meuleners, Lynn
Hendrie, Delia
Lee, Andy
author_facet Meuleners, Lynn
Hendrie, Delia
Lee, Andy
author_sort Meuleners, Lynn
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Objective: Sealing of road shoulders and installation of audible edge lines (also known as rumble strips or audio tactile profiled edges) are common engineering road treatments, often implemented to prevent run-off-road crashes. This quasi-experimental study evaluated the effectiveness of installing sealed shoulders and/or audible edge lines on the Albany Highway in Western Australia during 2000–2004 relative to matched control sites. Methods: Reduction in crash frequency post-2004 and the economic benefits of applying these treatments to 13 sites were assessed. Results: The treatments were highly effective overall, significantly reducing all-severity crash rate by 58 percent and casualty crashes by 80 percent. The reduction in crash cost was estimated to be $51.9 million Australian dollars over the lifetime of the treated sites, with $51.4 million attributable to the decrease in casualty crashes. After accounting for treatment costs, the net cost savings to the community were estimated at $50.6 million. The benefit–cost ratio across all treatment sites was 40.3. Conclusions: The findings justified the implementation of these treatments on rural roads in terms of benefits for reduction in both crash rate and crash cost.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-123632017-09-13T16:03:15Z Effectiveness of Sealed Shoulders and Audible Edge Lines in Western Australia Meuleners, Lynn Hendrie, Delia Lee, Andy Objective: Sealing of road shoulders and installation of audible edge lines (also known as rumble strips or audio tactile profiled edges) are common engineering road treatments, often implemented to prevent run-off-road crashes. This quasi-experimental study evaluated the effectiveness of installing sealed shoulders and/or audible edge lines on the Albany Highway in Western Australia during 2000–2004 relative to matched control sites. Methods: Reduction in crash frequency post-2004 and the economic benefits of applying these treatments to 13 sites were assessed. Results: The treatments were highly effective overall, significantly reducing all-severity crash rate by 58 percent and casualty crashes by 80 percent. The reduction in crash cost was estimated to be $51.9 million Australian dollars over the lifetime of the treated sites, with $51.4 million attributable to the decrease in casualty crashes. After accounting for treatment costs, the net cost savings to the community were estimated at $50.6 million. The benefit–cost ratio across all treatment sites was 40.3. Conclusions: The findings justified the implementation of these treatments on rural roads in terms of benefits for reduction in both crash rate and crash cost. 2011 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/12363 10.1080/15389588.2010.537001 Taylor & Francis restricted
spellingShingle Meuleners, Lynn
Hendrie, Delia
Lee, Andy
Effectiveness of Sealed Shoulders and Audible Edge Lines in Western Australia
title Effectiveness of Sealed Shoulders and Audible Edge Lines in Western Australia
title_full Effectiveness of Sealed Shoulders and Audible Edge Lines in Western Australia
title_fullStr Effectiveness of Sealed Shoulders and Audible Edge Lines in Western Australia
title_full_unstemmed Effectiveness of Sealed Shoulders and Audible Edge Lines in Western Australia
title_short Effectiveness of Sealed Shoulders and Audible Edge Lines in Western Australia
title_sort effectiveness of sealed shoulders and audible edge lines in western australia
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/12363