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Citation |
Homburger WS. Transp. Res. Rec. 1987; 1122: 27-36. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 1987, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing) |
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DOI |
unavailable |
PMID |
unavailable |
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Abstract |
In this paper, an investigation of traffic flow at the upper end of climbing lanes on two-lane roads in northern and central California is summarized. It was postulated that, especially where such lanes end on an upgrade, there might be sideswipe accidents involving merging vehicles or head-on collisions between a vehicle swerving across the centerline to avoid such a sideswipe and a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. Accident records covering 5 years at 21 such locations revealed that there are few accidents directly related to the merging maneuver; only 11 such accidents at six locations were identified. At only one of these locations were there a sufficient number (five) of accidents to warrant detailed analysis. The study of this location showed that the relatively short length of the climbing lane may cause impatient drivers to attempt last-chance overtaking maneuvers, and that restricted sight distance beyond the merging area may fail to warn uphill drivers of traffic approaching in the downhill direction. Three guidelines for the location and design of climbing lanes are suggested for consideration in addition to those found in other literature. However, the general conclusion is that the merging areas at the terminals of climbing lanes on two-lane roads do not present a hazard of major proportions. Language: en |
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Keywords |
HIGHWAY SYSTEMS; TRANSPORTATION - Traffic Control; AUTOMOBILE DRIVERS - Accidents |