Study Details
Study Title: Development of Crash Modification Factors for Left Side Rumble Strips
Authors: Mulkern and Hildebrand
Publication Date:MAY, 2013
Abstract: This study evaluated the feasibility of adding rumble strips to the left side of rural divided highways in New Brunswick. A 6-year retrospective review of 406 crashes that occurred on Route 2 and Route 95 from 2004-2009 was supplemented with an in-depth analysis of 289 incidents that occurred on the Brun-Way owned and operated sections of Route 2 and Route 95 during the years 2006-2011. The report revealed that despite significantly more traffic travelling in the right (outside) lane, a larger amount of run-off-the-road (ROR) crashes occurred to the left (non-rumble strip) side. The potential benefit of left rumble strip installation was developed by comparing the safety performance of highway sections with right-side-only rumble strip installation versus known Crash Modification Factors (CMFs) developed from highways with rumble strips on both sides. A CMF that estimates the incremental benefit of installing a left side rumble strip in addition to an existing right side rumble strip was estimated to be 0.93 for all ROR crashes. In other words, installing a left side rumble strip (where a right one exists) would yield 7 percent fewer ROR crashes. A conservative benefit-cost analysis revealed that the B/C ratio of the installation of left side rumble strips in New Brunswick ranged from approximately 14 to 20 depending on the source dataset.
Study Citation: Mulkern,M.P. and Hildebrand,E.D., Development of Crash Modification Factors for Left Side Rumble Strips. 23rd Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference, Montreal, Quebec(2013).
CMFs Associated With This Study
Category: Shoulder treatments
Countermeasure: Install shoulder rumble strips
| CMF | CRF(%) | Quality | Crash Type | Crash Severity | Roadway Type | Area Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.93 | 7 |  | Run off road | All | Principal Arterial Other Freeways and Expressways | Rural |
