CE576 Highway Design and Traffic Safety - Spring 08

Assignment 1-----Due date: Friday January 18

The assignment is to write a short paper (3-page limit) covering one of the two topics listed below. Be prepared to discuss and present the topic on Friday’s class.  One student will be randomly selected to present each topic. The presenter will have five minutes to present the topic followed by five minutes discussion.  He/she may choose any method for presentation (PowerPoint slides, handout, etc.)

Topic 1: Highway design standards, such as the MUTCD and ASSHTO's green book, ensure design consistency, operational consistency, and driving dynamic consistency. To achieve that, they take into consideration the human factors and vehicle characteristics that affect the user/roadway interaction. Discuss the concept of "design consistency" and give five specific examples of design standards that take human factors into consideration, five examples of design standards that take vehicle characteristics into consideration, and finally five examples of standards that take the interaction between human factors and vehicle dynamics interaction into consideration.

 Topic 2: In the past decade, the driver and vehicle populations in the nation’s highway system have experienced two major changes, namely: the increased percentage of elderly drivers and the increased number of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) in the highway system. Explain how these changes affect the “average driver” and the “design vehicle” considerations in the highway design standards. List specific examples (at least five) of highway design standards that should be modified to accommodate the changes in the driver and vehicle populations.

* Due date for outreach students; Monday January 30 by 5:00 PM (PST)