Have you ever considered the engineering and planning that goes into roadways? The thought and study that goes into roads and highways is extensive, and the main focus is on safety. This means that intersection safety is an important topic when it comes to road safety and road planning.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, intersections are “planned points of conflict in any roadway system.” As such, intersections are a natural spot for accidents to happen. The U.S. Department of Transportation maintains that the last few years saw an average of approximately 50 percent of traffic injuries and 25% of traffic deaths occurring at intersections. Focusing on intersection safety is an integral part of reducing both injuries and deaths.

The U.S. Department of Transportation maintained that multiple organizations—such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)—work together to utilize diverse strategies and engineering to increase intersection safety. Strategies utilized include:

  • Geometric design, including studying the best design for the intersection in question, its traffic patterns, and the surrounding topography, to name a few.
  • Application of traffic control devices like traffic signs, road markings, and traffic signals.
  • Reduction of congestion.
  • The use of innovative intersection options like roundabouts, u-turned based intersections, crossover-based intersections, quadrant roadways, and offset T intersections.

Intersection safety is an important component of roadway safety. At Tucker Paving, safety on all roadways and driveways, both before and after a paving or resurfacing job. Paving and resurfacing construction projects require a lot of large trucks, so the safety of our drivers is paramount. Then, after  job is over, we want every driver utilizing our the roads, drives, and parking lots we put in to be as safe as possible. Safety is always our first concern.