Study Details

Study Title: Development of Crash Modification Factors for Installation of High-Tension Cable Median Barrier

Authors: Russo et al.

Publication Date: 2016

Abstract: Cross-median crashes are among the most hazardous collision types that can occur on freeways. These crashes can be caused by a variety of factors including drowsiness, driver distraction, impaired driving, and loss of control. The primary countermeasure to reduce the potential for such crashes is the installation of a median barrier. Several states have recently installed cable barrier as a countermeasure to reduce the number of fatalities resulting from freeway cross-median crashes. As of 2014, approximately 317 miles of cable median barrier had been installed on freeways throughout the state of Michigan. In order to determine the safety impacts of cable barrier installation, a comprehensive before-and-after crash analysis was conducted, which included a manual crash report review to identify all median-related crashes. Safety performance functions were developed for roadway segments before and after cable barrier installation, as well as for similar control segments where no median barrier had been installed. Crash modification factors were developed as a function of median width using the Empirical Bayes (EB) method, which accounts for the regression-to-the-mean (RTM) effect. The results show cable median barriers to significantly reduce the frequency of such severe crashes, though marked increases in lower severity crashes were observed. Reductions in fatalities and serious injuries are less pronounced as compared to prior research (especially for wider median widths), which has largely ignored the RTM effect. Ultimately, this study provides important guidance for transportation agencies with respect to the expected safety impacts of cable median barrier installation.

Study Citation: Russo, B., Savolainen, P., and Gates, T., "Development of Crash Modification Factors for Installation of High-Tension Cable Median Barrier." Presented at the 95th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., (2016).


CMFs Associated With This Study

Category: Roadside

Countermeasure: Install cable median barrier (high tension)

CMF CRF(%)QualityCrash TypeCrash SeverityRoadway TypeArea Type
2.63-1635 StarsOtherC,OPrincipal Arterial Other Freeways and Expressways
2.51-1515 StarsOtherC,OPrincipal Arterial Other Freeways and Expressways
0.9733 StarsOtherBPrincipal Arterial Other Freeways and Expressways
1.02-23 StarsOtherBPrincipal Arterial Other Freeways and Expressways
0.47534 StarsOtherK,APrincipal Arterial Other Freeways and Expressways
0.76244 StarsOtherK,APrincipal Arterial Other Freeways and Expressways