Road Weather Management Program
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Best Practices for Road Weather Management Version 2.0

Title:

Accident Analysis of Ice Control Operations

Abstract:

During the late 1980's, the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany completed an extensive research project documenting the accident experience before and after winter road maintenance operations, and following a bare road pavement policy. Marquette University was approached in the Fall of 1990 by the Salt Institute to undertake a similar study, utilizing the same methodology of the German study, but for one winter season instead of for four years as was the German study. Marquette University research found that winte maintenance using salt or salt and CaCl2 only as deicers reduced accidents; winter maintenance reduced traffic accident costs, travel time costs, and operational costs; winter maintenance resulted in direct user benefits much greater than the direct maintenance cost. This report is based on a 305-page doctoral dissertation submitted to Marquette University Graduate School by Rashad M. Hanbali in 1992.

Source(s):

Marquette University Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Prepared for The Salt Institute. For an electronic copy of this resource, please direct your request to WeatherFeedback@dot.gov.

Date: 1992

Author:

Kuemmel, Hanbali

Keywords:


Safety
Snow
Ice/Frost
Winter maintenance
Benefit/Cost
Benefits
Costs
Precipitation

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