Transverse road markings as a speed mitigation device may be a cost-effective method of reducing fatal and serious injury crashes as a consequence of speeding on a high-speed hazard approach. As no established marking layouts have been formally applied in New Zealand, investigations into the use and application of transverse road markings have been conducted over 2008 2010. The culmination of this research was to develop and undertake two field trials on the New Zealand State Highway network. The field trials assessed vehicle speed in a before-and-after study. Vehicle speed was recorded two weeks prior to, two weeks after and six months after the installation of a 300m long transverse bar arrangement, starting at a distance of 410m from a high-speed rural hazard. It was found that the markings reduce vehicle speeds, particularly upon the entrance into the marking treatment. This trend was found to occur both in the short and long term. Based on these results, it was recommended that further trials be conducted with a slightly modified marking arrangement and a larger assessment period. The results of the trials conducted as part of this paper will contribute to the formalisation of a standardised procedure for transverse road marking in a New Zealand roading environment. (Author/publisher)
Abstract