Citation

Banks JH. Transp. Res. Rec. 1995; 1485: 44-48.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Current guidelines related to emergency call boxes call for them to be placed on the right-hand side of the unidirectional roadway. The advisability of also placing call boxes in freeway medians or adjacent to high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes in medians is considered. The opinions of California Highway Patrol officers and various professionals involved in the provision of call boxes in California and elsewhere were surveyed; opinions of survey respondents were mixed, but they were generally negative concerning median or HOV lane call boxes except in the case of barrier-separated HOV lanes. A review of accident reports to determine the number of persons struck while attempting to cross freeway lanes to access call boxes revealed that such accidents are exceedingly rare. A cost study showed that the costs of call boxes are quite modest compared with alternative means of providing motorist assistance. Based on the accident study it is concluded that installation of call boxes in median areas is not warranted except in the case of barrier-separated HOV facilities, where there would otherwise be no access to motorist assistance services.

Language: en

Keywords

Accident prevention; Highway accidents; Motor transportation; Highway administration; Highway planning; Highway systems; Telephone sets