There is a new National Highway Institute course labelled "Safety and Operational Effects of Geometry on Two-Lane Rural Roads." If you get a chance to take it, jump at it!
You will learn how to use some of the latest research to predict the safety performance of a road, based on road geometry, AADT, etc. This can be used to determine whether you need to do more than meet the standards, or if retaining a non-standard feature will cause problems.
It also introduces the idea of substantive safety (it performs well) vs. normative safety (it meets standards).
As traffic safety engineers, we often have to balance subjective impressions and experience against calculated capacity, costs, and AASHTO or similar standards. This course gives us the objectivity we need.
The instructors are well versed in the materials, and bring a wealth of experience to the class.
If you're prepared to have some conventional wisdom challenged and use your head as more than a hatrack, I bet you'll enjoy this course, and get a lot out of it.
You will learn how to use some of the latest research to predict the safety performance of a road, based on road geometry, AADT, etc. This can be used to determine whether you need to do more than meet the standards, or if retaining a non-standard feature will cause problems.
It also introduces the idea of substantive safety (it performs well) vs. normative safety (it meets standards).
As traffic safety engineers, we often have to balance subjective impressions and experience against calculated capacity, costs, and AASHTO or similar standards. This course gives us the objectivity we need.
The instructors are well versed in the materials, and bring a wealth of experience to the class.
If you're prepared to have some conventional wisdom challenged and use your head as more than a hatrack, I bet you'll enjoy this course, and get a lot out of it.
