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Engineers design roadways and vehicles to decrease the likelihood or severity of a collision.

The Vehicle

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.

 

1959 Chevrolet Bel Air vs. 2009 Chevrolet Malibu IIHS Crash Test

 

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).

 

Connected Vehicle: The Future of Transportation
The Roadway
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Roundabouts

Converting a traditional intersection to a roundabout can reduce the number of fatalities and incapacitating injuries by around 90 percent (Transportation Research Board).

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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).

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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).

Engineering Projects

NCDOT Engineering Projects for Roadway Safety

 

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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.

Find a Spot Safety Project near you

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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.

Resources
Sources

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

Learn more about the Vision Zero Initiative

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