utah driver education and training

UTAH Driver Education and TrainingUTAH Driver Education and Training

Strategies for Controlled Access Highways

Part IPart I

Standards and Benchmarks1. Laws and Highway System

a. know the laws outlined in the Utah Driver's manualb. understand the laws outlined in the Utah Driver's manualc. consistently demonstrate knowledge and understanding by responsible adherence to

highway transportation system traffic laws and control devices

2. Responsibilityb. demonstrate the ability to make appropriate decisions while operating a motor vehiclec. consistently display respect for other users of the highway transportation systemd. develop habits and attitudes with regard to responsible driving

3. Visual Skillsa. know proper visual skills for operating a motor vehicleb. communicate and explain proper visual skills for operating a motor vehiclec. demonstrate the use of proper visual skills for operating a motor vehicled. develop habits and attitudes with regard to proper visual skills

4. Vehicle Controla. demonstrate smooth, safe and efficient operation of a motor vehicleb. develop habits and attitudes relative to safe, efficient and smooth vehicle operation.

Standards and Benchmarks5. Communication

a. consistently communicate their driving intentions (i.e., use of lights, vehicle and personal signals)b. adjust their driver behavior based on observation of highway transportation system and other usersc. adjust communication (i.e., use of lights, vehicle and personal signals) based on observation of highway

transportation system and other usersd. develop habits and attitudes relative to effective communication

6. Risk Managementa. understand driver risk-management principlesb. demonstrate driver risk-management strategiesc. develop driver risk-management habits and attitudes

7. Lifelong Learninga. understand past, present and future vehicle and roadway design, and driving culturesc. understand benefits of a lifelong learning approach to drivinge. identify opportunities for lifelong education in driving

8. Driving Experiencea. acquire at least the minimum number of BTW hours over at least the minimum number of days, as

required by law, with a Utah approved driver education instructorb. be encouraged to acquire additional BTW driving experience with their parent or guardian's assistance in a

variety of driving situations (i.e., night, adverse weather, gravel road, etc.).

Introduction to Controlled Introduction to Controlled Access HighwaysAccess Highways

• Plans for the “Interstate System," began in the late 1930s

• The system was created in 1956 and named for President Dwight Eisenhower

• Without a system of interstate highways, life in America would be far different– It would be more risky, less

prosperous, and lacking in the efficiency and comfort that Americans now enjoy and take for granted

Source: The US Interstate Highway System: 40 Year Report American Highway Users Alliance., June 1996

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Interstate%20Highways.png

• KEY FACTS ABOUT UTAH’S INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM• The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, which has• been called the most ambitious public works project built since the Roman Empire, is the most• critical link in Utah’s transportation system.• • Utah has 940 miles of Interstate routes running the length of the state and connecting the• state’s major urban areas.• • Utah’s Interstate system, which includes five percent of all roadway lane miles in the state,• carries 36 percent of all vehicle travel in the state.• • Since funding of the Interstate system was approved in 1956, vehicle miles of travel in• Utah have increased by 645 percent, the state’s population has nearly tripled, increasing by• 195 percent, from 810,000 to approximately 2.4 million and the number of vehicles in• Utah has increased by 489 percent.• The state’s Interstate Highway System saves the average Utah resident $2,941 per year -- $7• billion statewide -- in reduced accident costs such as medical expenses and lost productivity, the• value of saved time and fuel, and reduced apparel, food, housing and transportation costs.• • By reducing travel times, the Interstate system saves each Utah resident 104 hours of travel• time annually – 248 million hours statewide.• • Utah’s Interstate system annually reduces statewide motor fuel consumption by 118• million gallons.• • Consumer costs have been significantly lowered by the Interstate Highway System. The• cost of transporting goods has been reduced because the time it takes to make trips has• been decreased.• • The following chart indicates the total annual savings per person and statewide of the• Interstate system.• Per Person Statewide (millions)• Safety $132 $316• Time and Fuel $1,667 $3,982• Reduced Consumer Costs $1,142 $2,728• Total $2,941 $7,026

CharacteristicsCharacteristics

• The words “limited” and “controlled” access highways are interchangeable with “freeways” and “expressways”– Travel on these highways is limited to motor vehicles – Drivers are limited as to where they can enter and exit

• Drivers have minimum and maximum speed limits• Opposing traffic has some type of barrier (median grass strip,

guardrail, concrete wall, etc.)• There are multiple lanes in both directions• They are designed to carry lots of traffic quickly and efficiently• Distance between entrance and exit locations may only be a

mile apart or many miles apart

• The U.S. Interstate Highway System has enriched the quality of life for every American– It provides virtually all Americans with the ability to move

quickly to any destination within their communities and to travel throughout the nation, inexpensively, and at whatever time or date they desire


Photo courtesy of http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/exhibition/exhibition_16_7.html

• There is a high injury severity rate when a collision occurs because of the higher speeds

• On UTAH interstates, 2,460 collisions occurred during 2004 causing 38 fatalities


Photo courtesy of AAA Foundation

• Did you know in 2007:• • 61,245 motor vehicle crashes occurred in Utah

which resulted in 27,420 injured persons and 299• deaths.• • 2007 had the highest number of crashes ever

on public roadways in Utah.• • A motor vehicle crash occurred in Utah every 8

minutes, a person was injured in a crash every 19• minutes, and a person died in a crash every 29

hours.

• Emergency crossovers on limited access roadways are restricted to emergency or law enforcement vehicles only

• Driving in these restricted areas can result in a large fine

Emergency CrossoversEmergency Crossovers

Photo courtesy of http://www.photodiary.org/kw_freeway.shtml

• Interstate Highway System Fascinating Facts• Interstate By the Numbers• Official Name: Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways Total Miles: 46,837 (2004)• Longest Interstate Routes:

I-90, Seattle, Washington to Boston, Massachusetts, 3,020.54 milesI-80, San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey, 2,899.54 milesI-40, Barstow, California to Wilmington, North Carolina, 2,555.40 milesI-10, Los Angeles, California to Jacksonville, Florida, 2,460.34 milesI-70, Cove Fort, Utah to Baltimore, Maryland, 2,153.13 miles

Shortest Two-Digit Interstate Routes:I-73, Emery to Greensboro, North Carolina, 12.27 milesI-97, Annapolis to Baltimore, Maryland, 17.62 milesI-99, Bedford to Bald Eagle, Pennsylvania, 53.00I-19, Nogales to Tucson, Arizona, 63.35 milesI-66, Strasburg, Virginia to Washington, D.C., 74.80 miles

Shortest Three-Digit Interstate Routes:I-878, 0.70 miles, New YorkI-395, 0.72 miles, MarylandI-980, 0.80 miles, CaliforniaI-315, 0.82 miles, MontanaI-110, 0.94 miles, Texas

North-South Transcontinental Routes:I-5 San Diego, California to Blaine, Washington, 1,381.29 milesI-15, San Diego, California to Sweetgrass, Montana, 1,433.52 milesI-35 Laredo, Texas to Duluth, Minnesota, 1,568.38 milesI-55, New Orleans, Louisiana to Chicago, Illinois, 964.25 milesI-65, Mobile, Alabama to Gary, Indiana, 887.30 milesI-75, Miami, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, 1,786.47 milesI-95, Miami, Florida to Houlton, Maine, 1,919.74 miles

States with Most Interstate Miles:Texas, 17 routes, totaling 3,233.45 milesCalifornia, 25 routes, totaling 2,455.74 milesIllinois, 23 routes, totaling 2,169.53 milesPennsylvania, 22 routes, totaling 1,759.34 milesNew York, 29 routes, totaling 1,674.73 miles

States with Most Interstate Routes:New York, 1,674.73 miles, 29 routesCalifornia, 2,455.74 miles, 25 routesIllinois, 2,169.53 miles, 23 routesPennsylvania, 1,759.34 miles, 22 routesOhio, 1,572.35 miles, 21 routes

Routes Traversing the Most States:I-95, 16 states (including Washington D.C.): Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine

• I-90, 13 states: Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts• I-80, 11 states: California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey• I-70, 10 states: Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland• I-10, eight states: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida• All but five state capitals are directly served by the Interstate System. Those that aren’t are Juneau, Alaska; Dover, Delaware; Jefferson City, Missouri; Carson City, Nevada; and Pierre,

South Dakota.• Oldest Segments: A portion of the Grand Central Parkway in Queens, New York, opened in 1936 and was later incorporated into the Interstate System as I-278; The Pennsylvania Turnpike

between Irwin southwest of Pittsburgh and Carlisle west of Harrisburg opened in October, 1940, and is now I-76 and I-70. Interchanges: 14,750 (approximate)• Bridges: 55,512 (as of December 2004)• Tunnels: 82 (104 bores)• Highest Elevation: Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel, Clear Creek/Summit counties, Colorado 11,012 feet (east) and 11,158 (west)• Lowest Elevation: Interstate 8, El Centro, California, 52 feet below sea level

There are three types of tollbooths:1. Automatic ─ the driver deposits coins into a machine, requiring the

exact change before entering this tollbooth2. Attendant Operated ─ for driver’s without exact change or

large/oversized vehicles3. Electronic ─ an electronic device is placed in the drivers vehicle, as

the driver approaches the tollbooth, the device communicates with a computer that subtracts the amount electronically from a pre-paid account

TollboothsTollbooths


• Roads and bridges are generally paid for with fuel taxes

• They are talking about a toll road and bridge over utah lake going east and west.

• There were so many toll roads and bridges, the Legislature received complaints that tolls were seriously eating into business profits

• The system was abolished in 1872

Toll Roads and BridgesToll Roads and Bridges

The Snowden Bridge over the Missouri River charged tolls until 1956

Photo courtesy of the American Bridge Company

• High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes allow vehicles with two or more people to use diamond and express lanes

• The goal of HOV lanes is to use the current freeway system more efficiently and to provide a quicker, more reliable trip to those who car pool

High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) LanesHigh Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes

• Collision and fatality rates are lower

• Cross traffic is not present • Opposing traffic is separated

by a barrier

• There are no stops• Signs are large and placed

well in advance • Higher speed limits allow for

fast, efficient travel

ADVANTAGES OF LIMITED ACCESS ROADSADVANTAGES OF LIMITED ACCESS ROADS

• Lane selection is critical• Increased stopping

distance• Small driving errors can

be disastrous• Different size and weight

of vehicles adds additional challenges

• Rush hour congestion

DISADVANTAGES OF CONTROLLED DISADVANTAGES OF CONTROLLED ACCESS HIGHWAYSACCESS HIGHWAYS

Photo courtesy of http://members.cox.net/mkpl/interchange/interchange.html

WORLD'S MOST COMPLEX INTER-CHANGE... HOUSTON , TEXAS

Highway HypnosisHighway Hypnosis

• A dull or drowsy condition that can occur because of the concentration needed while driving long distances

• It becomes worse when the driver’s eyes focus on the yellow line

•Plan breaks and rest stops to combat highway hypnosis

•Pull to a safe area for rest and sleep when tired

• Unknowingly accelerating to a higher speed while driving is known as velocitation

• When driving at faster speeds for a period of time the body adjusts and causes the driver to think the vehicle is going slower than it actually is

VelocitationVelocitation


Expressway• High-speed divided highway with more than one lane running in each

directionFreeway/ Superhighway• Same as an expressway, but usually refers to highways without tollsTurnpike/ Tollroad/Tollway• Usually an expressway that drivers pay to useBeltway• A limited access highway that goes around a city/urban areaParkway• Wide landscaped divided highway, possibly limited to non-commercial

vehicles• Generally there are few if any commercial businesses or offices on parkways

TYPES OF CONTROLLED ACCESS ROADSTYPES OF CONTROLLED ACCESS ROADS

CLOVERLEAF INTERCHANGECLOVERLEAF INTERCHANGE

Allows for interchange of two expressways or major roadways

Allows minimal disruption of speed or movement

DIAMOND INTERCHANGEDIAMOND INTERCHANGE

Allows for interchange of a major roadway with a secondary dual or multiple lane roadway

Little room available for left turns onto freeway

Traffic can build up on the ramps creating congestion

TRUMPET INTERCHANGETRUMPET INTERCHANGE

Allows for interchange of secondary two-way streets to a multiple lane roadway with minimal traffic mix

FRONTAGE ROAD INTERCHANGEFRONTAGE ROAD INTERCHANGE

Allows for interchange of vehicles using parallel secondary two-way or one-way roadways and a major multiple-lane roadway

Allows drivers to exit a multiple-lane roadway and use the opposing frontage road to enter the multi-lane roadway in the opposite direction

• Pedestrians, animals, non-motorized vehicles, and slow moving vehicles are prohibited

• Fences restrict pedestrian and animal traffic• Wide shoulders and underpasses• Curves are banked • Sharp curves and steep grades are reduced or eliminated

SAFETY DESIGNSSAFETY DESIGNS

• Rumble Strips are corrugated road sections used to alert the driver through the noise tires make when driven over them– Warn of approaching

hazards – Alert the driver that they are

leaving the lane

• Breakaway support on signs and light poles are designed to break when struck by a vehicle– Lessening the damage to

the vehicle and injury to the occupants


Photo courtesy of http://www.aaroads.com

• Guardrails prevent vehicles that leave the roadway from impact with retaining walls, fences, or other vehicles

• Crash barrels lessen the impact if a vehicle collides with a bridge or overpass support


• Changeable message signs warn drivers of traffic accidents, stalled vehicles, or other traffic problems


• Runaway truck ramps are on downhill grades for use by large, semi-tractor trailers that have lost brake power and are unable to stop


INTERSTATES IN UTAHINTERSTATES IN UTAH

INTERSTATE SIGNSINTERSTATE SIGNS

Interstate sign

Warning sign

Guide sign

Speed limit

• Even numbers go east-west (I-90, I-94)

• Odd numbers go north-south (I-15)

• Numbers begin in the west and get larger as they move east

• Alternate routes are usually three-digit

INTERSTATE HIGHWAY NUMBERSINTERSTATE HIGHWAY NUMBERS

• If the first digit is even, the alternate route goes around the city

• If it is odd, it leads into the city (I-115, I-315)

INTERSTATE HIGHWAY NUMBERSINTERSTATE HIGHWAY NUMBERS

• Montana’s I-315 in Great Falls is 0.82 miles and is the second shortest highway in the nation

TRAFFIC SIGNALSTRAFFIC SIGNALS

• Traffic signals on expressways are rareTraffic signals on expressways are rare• The most common use is to identify traffic lanesThe most common use is to identify traffic lanes

Red

XYellow

XGreen

Open for Open for traveltravel

Lane about Lane about to change or to change or closeclose

ClosedClosedProhibitedProhibited

TRAFFIC SIGNALSTRAFFIC SIGNALS

• Lane markings on expressways mean the same as on any other roadway

• The HOV marking is unique to high occupant vehicles

Lane MarkingsLane Markings

• The speed limit on limited access highways in UTAH is 75 mph outside urban areas of 50,000 population and 65 mph within urban areas of 50,000 population

• These fixed speed limits are based on optimal road/weather conditions

SPEED LIMITSSPEED LIMITS

Source: Drivers Manual

• Usually green or white and have the word MILE along with a number - some just have the number

• Mile markers show the number of miles from where the Interstate route entered a state

• The counting always begins at the state line in the south (for north-south routes) and in the west (for east-west routes)

• Mile marker numbers always get larger as drivers travel east or north

MILE MARKERSMILE MARKERS

• Knowing how to read mile markers can help drivers know exactly where they are in their destination

• Watching these numbers will be useful if a driver needs to call for assistance by giving an exact location

• Exit numbers will be the same number as the mile marker as shown in the two pictures

• Mile markers on roads off the Interstate system exist, however, the numbering system may be different from state to state—or even county to county

MILE MARKERSMILE MARKERS

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