Safe Roads

Intersections

U.S. Department of Transportation has identified Colorado as what's called a Focus State for intersection-related crashes. Improving the built environment at intersections is key to reducing fatalities and serious injuries in Colorado. Safe Roads improvements at intersections include signal timing, visibility at both signalized and unsignalized intersections, designing for all users of the intersection and selecting the correct intersection control.

Additionally, another key consideration related to intersections is the topic of Access Management. Access Management is the coordinated planning, regulation and design of access between roadways and land development. It encompasses a range of methods that promote the efficient and safe movement of people and goods by reducing conflicts on the roadway system and at its interface with other modes of travel. These methods include improvements to benefit transit, pedestrians, and bicyclists, as well as different treatments for urban, suburban and rural settings. Because many crashes occur at intersections, including those where a driveway meets a roadway, effective Access Management is key to the reduction of fatality and serious injury crashes. 

Speed

To achieve safe speeds on Colorado Roadways, both driver behavior and the built environment must be considered. Speed limits must be set in a way that is data-driven and promotes safe driving, and the built environment must provide roadway features and cues that encourage safe speeds. Infrastructure improvements that promote safe speeds include: 

• Appropriate speed limit setting that is data-driven and best practice for safety 
• Use of variable speed limits 
• Installation of traffic calming features and other physical features that reduce driver speeds 
• Implementing roadway designs that discourage excessive speeds

Lane
Departures

Roadway or lane departures are a top cause of fatalities and serious injuries for single-vehicle crashes and in rural areas. A roadway departure often results in a serious collision with a roadside object, such as a tree or an embankment, or causes the vehicle to roll over and harm its occupants. Other lane departures can result in sideswipe or head-on collisions with oncoming vehicles or vehicles in other lanes. Keeping drivers on the road and in their lane often includes low-cost solutions, such as signing and striping improvements. Other times, rumble strips or high-friction pavement surface treatment can help reduce likelihood of a departure. Guardrail or cable rail can also work to prevent errant vehicles from leaving the roadway.