Highway safety is an ongoing concern to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). As part of its proactive commitment to improving highway safety, TxDOT is moving toward including quantitative safety analyses earlier in the project development process. The objectives of this research project are: (1) the development of safety design guidelines and evaluation tools to be used by TxDOT designers, and (2) the production of a plan for the incorporation of these guidelines and tools in the planning and design stages of the project development process. This report describes the role and application of accident modification factors (AMFs) in the highway geometric design process. The potential applications of AMFs are identified and procedures for using AMFs are outlined. AMFs that can be used in design applications are also identified. Those AMFs that are needed to evaluate key highway design elements are identified. Recommendations are made regarding future research needed to enhance the use of AMFs in the design process. (Author/publisher)
Abstract