Published: February 2009 | Category: Safety, security and public health , Research programme , Research & reports | Audience: General
Audio tactile profiled (ATP) road markings (also known by road users as rumble strips) have been used at selected locations on New Zealand roads in recent years. However, a recent Land Transport Research report established that more extensive use of these markings over a wider range of traffic volumes and roadway situations would result in cost-effective crash reductions.
The potential benefit of ATP road markings is recognised by KiwiRAP, the New Zealand Automobile Association’s New Zealand Road Assessment Programme partnership with government and transport agencies, dedicated to helping achieve the government’s Road Safety to 2010 strategy through road driver awareness and improvement measures.
Land Transport New Zealand (now NZ Transport Agency) therefore commissioned this project to investigate possible impediments to the wider use of ATP road markings and to consider whether the existing guidelines for their use need to be reviewed.
Based largely on consultation, the report provides an overview of practice and technology currently applied to the use of ATP road markings in New Zealand. It recommends best practice guidelines and changes to decision making processes, technical standards and some further research.
The project provides information needed by highway managers and ATP road marking installation contractors. The recommendations inform the development of changes to rules and decision making procedures and, when adopted, should result in significantly increased usage of ATP road markings and a corresponding increase in crash savings.
Keywords: audio tactile, benefits, centreline, costs, delineation, edgeline, line markings, profiled, road markings, road safety, rumble strips, software
