In evaluating the effectiveness of winter maintenance operations the effects of salting, ploughing and following a bare pavement policy were studied in the US states of New York, Illinois and Wisconsin. Detailed data were collected from 1700 lane kilometers of two-lane undivided highways and 300 lane kilometers multilane divided motorways during December 1990. Details of a) road section characteristics; b) traffic volumes; c) snow traffic volumes; d) snow and ice control; and e) traffic accidents, were collected. The data is analysed in three ways: a) before and after analysis; b) statistical analysis; and c) economic analysis. Earlier literature is reviewed. It was concluded that winter road maintenance was a major contributor maintenance was a major contributor to traffic safety and caused direct savings to road users.
Samenvatting