Engineering
Our vision: Vehicles that prevent crashes and roads that forgive mistakes.
Engineers design roadways and vehicles to decrease the likelihood or severity of a collision.
Vehicle safety features, such as airbags, anti-lock brakes, and blind spot monitors provide extra protection to road users and can drastically reduce the risk of collision or injury.
Injury analysis of the crash test shown above revealed that the occupant of the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu may have sustained a foot injury while the occupant of the 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air would have suffered serious, if not fatal, injuries (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).
Roundabouts
Converting a traditional intersection to a roundabout can reduce the number of fatalities and incapacitating injuries by around 90 percent (Transportation Research Board).
Rumble strips
Rumble strips can reduce head-on crashes by 50% or more and single vehicle run-off road crashes by up to 46% (NHTSA).
Road Diet
By reducing the number and/or width of lanes, a road diet can reduce crashes by 19 – 47% and reduce speeds, improving mobility and access for all road users (FHWA).
NCDOT Engineering Projects for Roadway Safety
Spot Safety Project
The Spot Safety Project identifies and completes improvement projects which address safety and operational issues on North Carolina roads. A Safety Oversight Committee (SOC) reviews and selects projects based on the frequency of correctable crashes, severity of crashes, delay, congestion, number of signal warrants met, effect on pedestrians and schools, division and region priorities, and public interest.
Hazard Elimination Project
The Hazard Elimination Project is used to develop larger improvement projects which address safety and potential safety issues. A Safety Oversight Committee reviews and recommends projects according to safety benefit to cost ratio.
Persaud, B., Retting, R., Garder, P., & Lord, D. (2001). Safety effect of roundabout conversions in the united states: Empirical bayes observational before-after study. Transportation Research Board: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 1751, 1-8. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/1751-01