Notice Ratings as a Management Tool to Reduce Truck Rollovers on Ramps

Abstract

This paper presents a proactive method to identify and evaluate ramp characteristics that present a rollover hazard for trucks. It uses ratings developed from a survey in which experts in highway design and operations rated the relative extent to which deficiencies in each of the characteristics of a ramp might contribute to a truck rollover. Fuzzy math is used in the synthesis of the experts' opinions to numerical values that can be used by highway safety practitioners. The ratings are used to develop Notice Ratings, which are numerical evaluations of the relative rollover hazard that exists on a ramp. The Notice Ratings can be used to set priorities for corrective action. An example of their use in cost-effectiveness analysis is given in this paper.