FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasures
Recommendations from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to reduce crashes and traffic fatalities in urban areas.
Designing and building safe, efficient roads in densely populated urban areas is an ongoing challenge for city planners and traffic engineers. As populations continue to grow, it’s more important than ever to design complete streets that are safe for all, particularly vulnerable road users. The FHWA promotes these proven countermeasures to improve traffic safety, calm traffic, provide safe spaces for pedestrians and cyclists, and reduce crashes — all toward the goal of eliminating fatalities on urban roads.
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Reflective BackplatesInstall backplates with retroreflective borders on traffic lights to help increase the visibility, consistency and driver recognition of these important traffic signals. Learn more about the benefits of reflective backplates
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Stop-Controlled IntersectionsImprove the safety of problematic or dangerous intersections that have stop signs with a combination of safety countermeasures, including retroreflective warning signs and high-visibility pavement markings.
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Road DietsReduce four-lane urban roads to three lanes — two through lanes and a shared center left-turn lane — to help calm traffic, reduce accidents and create space for bike lanes, curb extensions, median pedestrian refuges and more. Learn more about road diet
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Dedicated Left- and Right-Turn Lanes at IntersectionsAdd designated left- and right-turn lanes at intersections. This separates traffic that is slowing to turn from faster-moving through traffic, helping reduce rear-end collisions.
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3M™ Stamark™ Pavement Marking Symbols and Legends Tape 380I ES
3M™ Stamark™ Pavement Marking Symbols and Legends Tape 380AW
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Medians and Pedestrian Crossing Islands in Urban and Suburban AreasPedestrian crashes account for approximately 15 percent of all traffic fatalities annually. Installing raised medians or pedestrian crossing islands can help improve safety by allowing pedestrians to cross one direction of traffic at a time.
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3M™ Stamark™ High Performance Pavement Markings
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Road Safety AuditA road safety audit should be performed at the beginning of any road project to evaluate the safety of the designs, identify safety issues and find opportunities to implement proven safety countermeasures.
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Sign Management software
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Solutions for Safer Urban Roads
In urban areas, there are key locations where road users — including motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, people on public transportation, and people using new forms of micro mobility — come into contact. These areas can present significant dangers, especially to vulnerable road users. Learn more about steps you can take to improve safety and mobility in these areas — and how 3M can help.
