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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation
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Office of Research, Development and Technology at the Turner-Fairbanks Highway Research Center

Pilot Federal Highway Inservice Performance Evaluation of Guardrail End Terminals: Data Analysis, Project Summarization, and Report Development (ISPE-GETS)

Project Information

Project ID:
FHWA-PROJ-19-0024
Project Abstract:

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Safety Research and Development is conducting a pilot inservice performance evaluation (ISPE) of the most widely used energy absorbing guardrail end terminals (GETs) in the United States, specifically: ET-Plus, ET-2000, Flared Energy Absorbing End Terminal (FLEAT), Slotted Kinking Terminal (SKT)/M(ASH Compliant)SKT , X-Lite, X-Tension, and Soft Stop. For each device, the evaluation will address:

  • Crash performance in terms of vehicle occupant risk.
  • The sensitivity to varying effects such as environmental conditions, site characteristics, and impact conditions.
  • The degree of sensitivity to improper installation, maintenance and repair.

Data are being collected at test sites in four states that have agreed to participate in this pilot study: Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, California, and Missouri. Under the FHWA Pilot ISPE, detailed on-site investigations are being performed for fatal and serious injury crashes, generally within twenty four hours of receiving notification of the crash, by NHTSA’s Special Crash Investigation teams. The FHWA Division Offices, in cooperation with their state DOT partners, are collecting data for the minor and property-damage-only (PDO) crashes. Data collection is currently scheduled to run through January 25, 2019. Based on the number of crashes expected, and based on historic trends, the current two-year timeframe for completion will likely be insufficient to collect enough data to draw statistically significant conclusions about the safety performance of the devices. Photography forms the basis for data collection. A complete photo suite can aid subject matter experts to code a basic case, with information suitable for analysis.

The objective of this project is to develop a practice-ready guidance document, a technical report, a curated analysis-ready database, and to present findings of the FHWA Pilot ISPE of GETs.

Project Status:
Completed
Project Funding Amount (Contract Award Amount):
$483,340.00
Start Date:
End Date:
Public Access Plan:
Yes
Grant/Contract ID:
  • 693JJ319F000096
FHWA Program Area:
  • Safety
Fiscal Year / AMRP Program / AMRP Activity:
  • FY 2002-2022 / Safety / Safety Data and Analysis
Project Link:

AMRP = Annual Modal Research Plan

Contact Information

First Name:
Ana
Last Name:
Eigen
Phone Number:
(202) 493-3260
Email Address:
ana.eigen@dot.gov
Team:
Safety Data and Analysis Team
Office:
Office of Safety and Operations Research and Development
Office Code:
HRSO-20

Management Organizations

Sponsor Organization

Organization Role:
Sponsor Organization
Organization:
Federal Highway Administration: Office of Research, Development and Technology - Office of Safety and Operations Research and Development

Performing Organization

Organization Role:
Performing Organization
Organization:
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.