Survey Summary Results – Use of Shoulder Treatments to Reduce Run Off Road Crashes

In March 1998, the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Office of Highway Safety conducted a survey to identify State policies and guidelines for textured shoulders. The FHWA noted that the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Strategic Highway Safety Plan called for States to “retrofit the rural interstate and other fatigue-prone facilities with shoulder rumble strips” over the next 3-4 years. Several studies have shown that textured shoulder treatments are effective in alerting drowsy or inattentive drivers who are prone to driving of the edge of the roadway. This rumble strip treatment is credited with reducing a significant number of run-off-road crashes in many States. Included are the survey questions posed in this survey and a summary listing of the results from the States which responded.