Report Details

Home

About VTRC

News

Reports

Organization

Projects

Committees

Directions

The contents of this report reflect the views of the author(s), who is responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, or the Federal Highway Administration. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. Any inclusion of manufacturer names, trade names, or trademarks is for identification purposes only and is not to be considered an endorsement.

Title:

Evaluation of Wide Edgelines on Two-lane Rural Roads

Authors:

Benjamin H. Cottrell, Jr.

Year:	1987

VTRC No.:	87-R23
Abstract:	The effect of 8-in. wide edgelines on the incidence of run-off-the road (ROR) and related accidents was evaluated. The treatment locations consisted of three two-lane rural road sections totaling 55.2 miles. A before-and-after design with a comparison group, and a check for comparability were used to analyze data. Five years of accident data, covering the three years before wide edgeline installation and the two years after installation, were used. It was concluded that there is no evidence to indicate that wide edgelines significantly affected the incidence of ROR and related accidents for any individual treatment location or for the locations combined. The related accidents include ROR accidents involving driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, ROR accidents on curves, ROR accidents during darkness, and opposite-direction accidents. Consequently, it was recommended that wide edgelines not be considered as a countermeasure for ROR accidents in Virginia.