AASHTO Journal, 3 January 2014
The South Carolina Department of Transportation announced that, based on recent safety data, travelers along a stretch of I-385 in Laurens County have greatly benefited from a safety improvement project.
In 2010, SCDOT tackled the I-385 improvement project, which reconstructed 15 miles of the interstate and also included increasing the “clear zone,” or an area beyond the edge of a “traveled way” that gives drivers room to regain control of a vehicle that leaves the roadway or to stop safely. Clear zone sizes are determined by vehicle speeds, traffic volume, and crash data. To meet new standards, SCDOT cleared about 50 feet of trees from the edge of the pavement to create a safer clear zone.
According to SCDOT, an average of 12.4 crashes per year involving trees occurred on that particular stretch of I-385 before the project. Since the project’s completion, however, the number of crashes involving trees has dropped to an average of 3.1 crashes per year, representing a decrease of 75 percent. Also, in the five years before the project, there were six fatalities involving trees in this stretch of the interstate. In the three years since the project, there have been none.
“The data clearly show a significant increase in safety, which is our main goal at SCDOT,” said SCDOT Director of Traffic Engineering Tony Sheppard in a statement. “The analysis of the crash data demonstrates the positive impacts of providing a forgiving roadway design and adequate clear zone for motorists of errant vehicles to safely bring their vehicle under control.”