The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Roadway Safety Foundation have announced that Delaware is one of this year’s nine National Roadway Safety Award winners, which represent the nation’s best examples of innovation in highway safety. The biennial competition, which began in 1999, is an acknowledgement of successful approaches to improving roadway safety at the state and local level.
Delaware received the award for the use of a high-friction surface treatment (HFST) that can dramatically and immediately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities at locations where motorists brake frequently or where wet road surfaces reduce pavement friction, resulting in potential crashes. About 33,000 square yards of HFST has been installed at more than 20 locations throughout the state, reducing often-deadly roadway departure crashes by 56 percent.
In Delaware, roadway departure crashes accounted for 40 percent of all traffic-related fatalities from 2007 through 2014 and 21 percent of all serious injury crashes in the state.
“These awards recognize real and innovative solutions to some of the nation’s biggest safety challenges,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Brandye L. Hendrickson. “We commend Delaware for its efforts in saving lives and reducing injuries on our nation’s roads, and invite others across the country to put such life-saving solutions to work.”
“This recognition is a great example of how of our commitment to innovation is paying off and making our roads safer,” said Secretary of Transportation Jennifer Cohan. “I am extremely proud of our safety team that is led by Safety Program Manager Adam Weiser for their innovative work to develop a solution for a problem we see on roadways throughout the state.”
HFST is a type of ultra-thin pavement overlay that utilizes an epoxy resin or polymer binder and high-quality, polish-resistant aggregate. The additional skid resistance provided by this treatment allows motorists more opportunity to regain control of their vehicle, reduce their speed and stay on the roadway.
DelDOT has also begun evaluating intersection approaches where there are high rates of rear-end crashes to determine if the HFST can be installed to minimize skidding approaching stop-controlled and signal-controlled intersections.
Of the 32 applications this year, nine winners were selected. For complete details on each of the winners, and for more information on the national awards program, visit http://www.safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadwaysafetyawards/.