FHWA defines a roadway departure (RwD) crash as a crash which occurs after a vehicle crosses an edge line or a center line, or otherwise leaves the traveled way. Another term our partners often use is lane departure, which is synonymous with RwD, since both include head-on collisions when a vehicle enters an opposing lane of traffic. From 2016 to 2018 an average of 19,158 fatalities resulted from roadway departures, which is 51 percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States.

What's New:

• Brochures for Rollover, tree, Utility Pole and Head - On Crashes now available.
• South Carolina DOT Tree Removal Noteworthy Practices

Use the links below to learn more about effectively reducing RwD fatalities and serious injuries.

Strategic Approach

• RwD Strategic Plan
• Crash Emphasis Areas Brochures
• RwD Focused Approach
• Additional Resources

Countermeasures

Keep Vehicles on Roadway

• Pavement Friction
• Rumble Strips
• Horizontal Curve Safety
• Nighttime Visibility

Provide for Safe Recovery

• SafetyEdge^SM
• Clear Zones

Reduce Crash Severity

• Hardware Eligibility Letters
• Guidance & Policies
• Resources

Focus on Reducing Rural Roadway Departures

Every year nearly 12,000 people die when their vehicle leaves its lane on a rural road. This EDC initiative is supported by four pillars:

• All Public Roads
• Proven Countermeasures
• Systemic Approach
• Safety Action Plans

Synthesis of Practices

NCHRP Synthesis 515: Practices for Preventing Roadway Departures identifies and summarizes countermeasures being used by state departments of transportation to prevent RwD crashes and identifies the data-driven advantages and disadvantages of these countermeasures.