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Virginia Department of Transportation HAR operational guidelines / by Virginia.Department of Transportation.(CARDINAL)291718;
Subjects: Handbooks and manuals.; Virginia. Department of Transportation.; Highway communications; Mobile communication systems; Radio;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Evaluation of the availability and accuracy of the Virginia Department of Transportation's road weather information system / by Roosevelt, Daniel S.(CARDINAL)313786; Hanson, Robert A.(CARDINAL)314730; Virginia.Department of Transportation.(CARDINAL)291718; Virginia Transportation Research Council.(CARDINAL)195142;
Includes bibliographical references (page 17).Final report;The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has road weather information system (RWIS) stations at 40 locations throughout the state. Each station consists of equipment to measure and record meteorological data, and from one to five sensors to measure certain pavement and subsurface conditions. Until recently, VDOT had two contracts in place to: (1) maintain and repair the RWIS station equipment; and (2) provide twice-daily 24-hour weather forecasts. These contracts have expired, and VDOT is now preparing to re-advertise them. The purpose of this study is to assess the quality of those services, and to identify, where possible, performance measures that should be included in future contracts. The study concludes that maintenance service contracts that do not include performance measures with enforceable penalties result in inadequate maintenance and unreliable data. While this study does not recommend specific performance measures or penalties, examples from other states' contracts are included. The accuracy of surface temperature and precipitation forecasts at two stations is reviewed. The results indicate that although they do not guarantee forecast accuracy, accurate and available surface sensor data are necessary to provide reliable surface temperature forecasts. The study recommends that contracts for weather forecasts include the requirement that VDOT be notified prior to important precipitation events. Examples of suggested events and notification lead times from other states' contracts are included in the study.Sponsored by the Virginia Department of Transportation, under project no.
Subjects: Technical reports.; Roads; Roads; Weather forecasting;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The effects of motor vehicle window tinting on traffic safety and enforcement : final report : a report to the Governor and General Assembly in response to Senate Joint Resolution 293, 1993 Session / by Proffitt, Dennis R.(CARDINAL)312216; Virginia Transportation Research Council.(CARDINAL)195142;
Includes bibliographical references (pages 37-38).The 1993 Session of the Virginia General Assembly lessened restrictions relating to the application of aftermarket tinted window films to motor vehicle glass. Effective July 1, 1993, vehicles are allowed to have window tinting treatments that do not reduce the transmittance of light below 35% for rear and rear side windows and 50% for front side windows, but no aftermarket tinting may be applied to windshields. However, the new legislation allows lower transmittance levels for the windows on vehicles used by individuals with a medical waiver. The traffic safety community is concerned that aftermarket window tint film may increase the incidence of traffic crashes by limiting a driver's ability to see out of a vehicle, and it may compromise the safety of police officers by limiting an officer's ability to see into a vehicle that he or she has stopped. The window tinting industry, however, notes the lack of empirical evidence correlating window tinting and traffic crashes or police officer injuries or fatalities. The concerns of industry and the traffic safety community were balanced by the adoption of Senate Joint Resolution 293, which directed the Virginia Departments of Motor Vehicles and State Police to study the issue. The study found that window tinting reduces the ability to detect targets that would be difficult to see through clear glass, and this can be a liability when ambient lighting is low. In addition, the adverse effects of window tinting become increasingly pronounced as transmittance goes below 70%, particularly for people who wear spectacles and for older drivers. There is no evidence, however, that reduced visibility significantly affects drivers' performance during well-illuminated daytime hours. The difficulties are more likely to be manifested at night. Further, by reducing the amount of light transmittance, window tinting reduces the ability of an outside observer to see into a vehicle, which has led to the concerns about the safety of police officers. Although there are only limited optical benefits to be derived from window tinting and there are a number of potential optical detriments, there is no empirical evidence to indicate that the tinting allowed under Virginia's current laws creates a safety hazard in terms of driver performance. Thus, it is recommended that Virginia's new laws on window tinting not be changed unless compelling evidence that the standards compromise safety is found in the future. However, further research is recommended. It is also recommended that federal regulations and/or action by the states to achieve national uniformity be encouraged in order to promote uniformity in laws and regulations concerning aftermarket window tinting.Sponsored by Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, [and] the University of Virginia, project no.
Subjects: Technical reports.; Automobiles; Automobiles; Traffic accidents; Traffic violations;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Deceleration lights on trucks : a report to the governor and General Assembly of Virginia in response to Senate Joint Resolution no. 247, 1993 legislative session / by Johnson, Andrew P.(Andrew Paul); Stoke, Charles B.(CARDINAL)311175; Virginia Transportation Research Council.(CARDINAL)195142;
Includes bibliographical references (pages 49-51).Final report.Senate Joint Resolution No. 247, 1993 Session, requested that the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, the Center for Innovative Technology, the Motor Carrier Division of the State Corporation Commission, and the Department of State Police conduct a study of the types of deceleration lights that currently exist, the desirability of allowing deceleration lights on trucks in the Commonwealth, and the appropriate standards that should dictate their use. In answer to the question of what types of deceleration lights currently exist, it was discovered that a great variety of systems have been developed and tested. These include accelerator position signals (APS), the type of light that led to this effort; enhanced brake signals; true deceleration signals; signals that operate when alternative braking is used; pre-brake signals; advance brake lights; and fast-rise brake lamps. The second question, whether it would be desirable to allow the use of deceleration lights on trucks, is more tenuous than the first. To be desirable, signaling systems need to deliver a familiar, consistent message, and they need to do so without generating ambiguous or false signals. Systems must also comply with legal barriers intended to protect the effectiveness of required lighting and signaling systems. Systems should not be prone to problems in installation and adjustment that would alter the nature of the signals they deliver. And finally, systems should be uniform in the message they deliver, which emphasizes the need for recognized standards and suggests the need to avoid having a great variety of systems in use. In the end, APSs are not a desirable type of deceleration warning light to allow for use on trucks in the Commonwealth. In answering the third question, what are the appropriate standards that should govern the use of deceleration warning lights, two proposals have been developed. The first suggests that Virginia should work together with other states to reestablish and fund the Vehicle Equipment Safety Commission (VESC) as a standard-setting organization for items of motor vehicle safety equipment that fall outside of the federal motor vehicle safety standards. The second proposal suggests that Virginia add a provision to the Code of Virginia that would allow for experimental testing of motor vehicle safety equipment on the highways of the Commonwealth through a permit system administered by the State Police.Sponsored by Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, [and] the University of Virginia, project no.
Subjects: Technical reports.; Trucks; Trucks;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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External viewing of vehicle contents under varying window tinting and illumination conditions / by Proffitt, Dennis R.(CARDINAL)312216; Virginia Transportation Research Council.(CARDINAL)195142;
Includes bibliographical references (page 18).Final report;The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which motor vehicle window tint films impede a police officer's ability to see clearly into a stopped vehicle. Three hundred and twenty subjects were asked to view the contents and occupants of one of four experimental cars. One car had no aftermarket tint film and three had varying degrees of timed windows. Although similar experiments have been conducted in the past, all yielded equivocal results because of methodological flaws. This experiment attempted to correct some of those problems and to simulate standard procedures used in traffic stops by the Virginia State Police. In general, this study found that the ability of subjects to detect occupants and objects in vehicles was substantially diminished as the level of window tinting increased. However, the detrimental effects of window tinting on viewing occupants and objects within a vehicle at night were substantially reduced when headlights and a spotlight were shone at the stopped vehicle, as would be the case in a traffic stop.Sponsored by Virginia Department of Transportation, project no.
Subjects: Technical reports.; Automobiles; Reflectance.; Traffic police; Traffic violations;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Montgomery County road orders 1777-1806 / by Spillman, Betty E.(CARDINAL)291261; Thomas, Shirley P.(CARDINAL)291260; Miller, Ann Brush.(CARDINAL)181518; New River Historical Society.(CARDINAL)291259; Virginia Transportation Research Council.(CARDINAL)195142;
Final report;Sponsored by Virginia Department of TransportationThe road history projects undertaken by the Virginia Transportation Research Council establish the feasibility of studies of early road networks and their use in the environmental review process. These projects, by gathering and publishing the early road orders of the vast parent counties, also lay the foundation for additional research by local groups over a broad area of Virginia. This volume marks the 26th entry in the Historic Roads of Virginia series, first initiated by the Virginia Transportation Research Council (then the Virginia Highway & Transportation Research Council) in 1973. Montgomery County Road Orders 1773-1776 is the second cooperative effort of the Virginia Transportation Research Council and the New River Historical Society (following Fincastle County Road Orders 1773-1776, which was published in 2007). This volume furthers the coverage of early western Virginia transportation records begun in the previously published Orange County Road Orders 1734-1749, Augusta County Road Orders 1745-1769, Botetourt County Road Orders 1770-1778, and Fincastle County Road Orders 1773-1776. This project covers the first three decades of Montgomery County's existence, during which time the county covered much of present day southwest Virginia. This information will eliminate the need for further research into the early Montgomery County road order records. If questions arise about early roads once a VDOT road improvement project is already underway (or nearly underway), primary historical research of this nature can take 6 to 12 months to complete. Therefore, this study can be a source of potentially significant cost savings for VDOT, including the avoided costs of project delays and avoided consultant costs for cultural resource studies should questions arise.
Subjects: Roads;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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An investigation of operational procedures for highway advisory radio systems / by Smith, Brian L.,1967-(CARDINAL)313386; Virginia.Department of Transportation.(CARDINAL)291718; Virginia Transportation Research Council.(CARDINAL)195142;
Includes bibliographical references (pages 17-18).Final report.A key objective of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is to provide travelers with accurate, real-time information, helping them make better decisions about when to travel, what mode to use, and what route to take. An interface is necessary to convey this information. Currently, the AM radio is an interface available in nearly all automobiles. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has deployed highway advisory radio (HAR) in several regions of the Commonwealth. This study reviewed previous research and technical information, examined the use of HAR in Virginia and other states by interviewing key personnel, and surveyed Virginia motorists to ascertain the public's perception of HAR. The results were used to develop the HAR Operational Guidelines, published in a separate document, and the conclusions contained in this report. Specifically, Proper HAR operation is personnel-intensive. To be of actual value to motorists, information must be gathered from many agencies, consolidated rapidly and accurately, and frequently updated. Presently, information provided on HAR stations is of limited value to motorists. Consequently, motorists depend on commercial radio station traffic reports for most of their information, instead of tuning in to HAR broadcasts. Changeable message signs should be used to advise motorists when they are in an HAR broadcast area, directing specific messages to the appropriate audience. Conventional vertical antennae are more cost-effective than radiating cable systems, and should be used exclusively.
Subjects: Technical reports.; Automobiles; Highway communications; Intelligent transportation systems;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Botetourt County road orders 1770-1778 / by Miller, Ann Brush.(CARDINAL)181518; Virginia Transportation Research Council.(CARDINAL)195142; Virginia.Department of Transportation.(CARDINAL)291718;
Final report;Sponsored by Virginia Department of TransportationThe road history projects undertaken by the Virginia Transportation Research Council establish the feasibility of studies of early road networks and their use in the environmental review process. These projects, by gathering and publishing the early road orders of the vast parent counties, also lay the foundation for additional research by local groups over a broad area of Virginia. This volume marks the twenty-fourth entry in the Historic Roads of Virginia series, first initiated by the Virginia Transportation Research Council (then the Virginia Highway & Transportation Research Council) in 1973. Botetourt County Road Orders 1770-1778 expands the coverage of early western Virginia transportation records begun in the previously published Orange County Road Orders 1734-1749 and Augusta County Road Orders 1745-1769. This information will eliminate the need for further research into the Botetourt County road order records of 1770-1778. If questions arise about early roads once a VDOT road improvement project is already underway (or nearly underway), primary historical research of this nature can take 6 to 12 months to complete. Therefore, this study can be a source of potentially significant cost savings for VDOT, including the avoided costs of project delays and avoided consultant costs for cultural resource studies should questions arise.
Subjects: Family histories.; Roads;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Factors associated with fatal pedestrian crashes in Virginia's urban areas-1985-1987 : final report / by Worthington, Michael E.(CARDINAL)311410; Virginia Transportation Research Council.(CARDINAL)195142;
Includes bibliographical references (pages 35-37).Between 1985 and 1987, a total of 400 pedestrians were fatally injured in Virginia; more than half of the pedestrian fatalities occurred in an urban area of the Commonwealth. Because little research had been conducted on urban pedestrian fatalities in Virginia, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles requested that the Virginia Transportation Research Council investigate the Commonwealth's urban pedestrian fatalities during the period 1985 to 1987. The purpose of the study was to identify situations and characteristics associated with urban pedestrian fatalities and, subsequently, to use the information to develop pedestrian safety measures. The study includes a literature review; an examination of accident reports of fatal pedestrian crashes occurring during the study period; and an analysis of pedestrian characteristics, driver actions, roadway and environmental factors, and vehicle factors present in the crashes. Overall, negligent pedestrian behavior contributed to urban pedestrian fatalities more than factors related to driver behavior, the roadway and environment at the crash site, or the vehicle itself. Alcohol use by the pedestrian was also found to be a major factor in urban pedestrian fatalities. High-risk periods are the end of the week and weekends, late afternoon to late evening, darkness, and fall and winter. Elderly pedestrians have greater difficulty negotiating complex situations and are more likely than younger persons to be fatally injured when struck by a vehicle. Across all age groups, males have a higher fatality rate.
Subjects: Statistics.; Technical reports.; Mortality; Traffic accidents;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Effectiveness of changeable message signs in controlling vehicle speeds in work zones / by Garber, Nicholas J.(CARDINAL)312196; Patel, Surbhi T.(CARDINAL)314588; Virginia Transportation Research Council.(CARDINAL)195142;
Includes bibliographical references (pages 58-61).Final report.Work zone speeds have customarily been regulated by standard regulatory or advisory speed signs. However, most drivers do not slow down in response to these static speed control measures. The changeable message sign (CMS) with radar unit has dynamic capabilities which may be more effective in altering driver behavior. The radar, attached directly to the CMS, determines the actual speed of individual vehicles in the traffic stream. Upon detecting a speed higher than a preset threshold limit, the CMS can display a personalized warning message. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the CMS with radar unit in reducing work zone speeds. Four CMS messages designed to warn drivers that their speed exceeded the maximum safe speed were tested at seven work zones on two interstate highways in Virginia. Speed and volume data for the whole population traveling through the work zone were collected with automatic traffic counters. To assess the effect of CMS on high-speed drivers in particular, vehicles that triggered the radar-activated display were videotaped as they passed through the work zone. Using the data obtained from the traffic counters and videotapes, speed characteristics were determined at the beginning, middle, and end of the work zone. These characteristics were computed for the whole population and for high-speed vehicles separately. Statistical tests were then conducted using these speed characteristics to determine whether significant reductions in speed accompanied the use of CMS. Odds ratios were first calculated to compare the odds for speeding when using CMS with the odds for speeding when using the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) signing only. These odds ratios indicated that CMS effectively reduced the number of vehicles speeding by any amount, by 5 mph or more, and by 10 mph or more in the work zone. When analysis of variance was used to compare speeds when using the CMS with speeds when using MUTCD signing only, all of the speed characteristics average speeds, 85th percentile speeds, speed variance, and the percentage of vehicles speeding by any amount, by 5 mph or more, and by 10 mph or more were reduced with any of the four CMS messages. In some cases, these reductions were not significant at a= 0.05. The messages were rated according to their level of effectiveness in the following order: [1] YOU ARE SPEEDING SLOW DOWN, [2] HIGH SPEED SLOW DOWN, [3] REDUCE SPEED IN WORK ZONE, and [4] EXCESSIVE SPEED SLOW DOWN. Finally, t tests were conducted using the speed data obtained for the high-speed vehicles, and at a significance level of ct 0.05, all of the messages were effective in significantly reducing the average speeds of those vehicles traveling 59 mph or faster in a 55 mph work zone when compared to MUTCD signing only.Sponsored by Virginia Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, under contract no.
Subjects: Technical reports.; Roads; Speed limits; Traffic signs and signals;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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