Roadway departures (aka lane departures) on the rural road network account for one-third of traffic fatalities. Systemic application of proven roadway departure countermeasures, such as rumble strips, friction treatments, and clear zones, helps keep vehicles in their travel lanes, reduce the potential for crashes, and reduce the severity of those crashes that do occur.
This initiative encourages agencies to address lane departures on all public roads.
There are many flexible, cost-effective countermeasures that are proven to reduce rural roadway departure (aka lane departure) crashes. They can be installed in various situations and on many types of roadways. Countermeasures can be used individually or in combination.
3 ways to prevent rural roadway departure deaths
FoRRRwD has three objectives for reducing the number or severity of rural lane departures – keep vehicles in the lane, reduce the potential for crashes if vehicles do leave their lane, and minimize severity if a crash does happen. There are specific countermeasures that apply to each objective
- Keep vehicles in their lane
- Reduce potential for crashes
- Minimize crash severity
To learn about about these countermeasures, visit https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/FoRRRwD/countermeasures.cfm
