Abstract

Highway downgrades for heavy trucks generate a potential safety risk and disruption for truck drivers and other road users. Emergency escape ramps (EER) are the standard method of accommodating runaway trucks in the downgrade sections of highways. The aging EER infrastructure, along with the increasing number of truck incidents in mountainous highways, creates the need for research into best practices for improving the performance of EERs. The research approach of this study consists of a multi-methods design, including a review of the literature, appraisal of incident reports from a mountain state DOT during the last decade, field observations and aggregate analysis at four EERs along a heavily transited mountain interstate, and evaluation of interstate stakeholder perceptions via focus group, surveys, and interviews. The product of this research is a series of recommendations to improve EER performance, operations, and maintenance practices. These practices can help sustain a highway system, which effectively and safely moves people and freight.

摘要

重型卡车的高速公路降级会给卡车司机和其他道路使用者带来潜在的安全风险和干扰。紧急逃生坡道 (EER) 是在高速公路下坡路段容纳失控卡车的标准方法。老化的 EER 基础设施，以及山区公路上越来越多的卡车事故，需要研究提高 EER 性能的最佳实践。本研究的研究方法包括多种方法设计，包括文献回顾、对过去十年山区州 DOT 的事故报告的评估、在交通繁忙的山区州际公路沿线的四个 EER 的实地观察和综合分析，通过焦点小组、调查和访谈评估州际利益相关者的看法。这项研究的成果是一系列改进 EER 性能、操作和维护实践的建议。这些做法可以帮助维持高速公路系统，从而有效和安全地运送人员和货物。