• Risk Assessment of Roadside Utility Structures under Vehicular Impacts

    NCDOT Research Project Number: 2018-24

Executive Summary

  • Roadside structures such as bus shelters and cluster mailboxes are increasingly used in urban areas. These structures raise safety concerns due to the likelihood of being struck by errand vehicles. The main objective of this research was to evaluate a bus shelter and two types of cluster mailboxes under impacts of MASH compliant vehicles. Finite element modeling and simulations were employed as the major tool of the investigation. The simulation results showed that there was no potential occupant injury in vehicular crashes into both single- and dual-unit Type I and Type IV mailboxes under MASH TL-1 conditions. In vehicular crashes into the bus shelter under MASH TL-2 conditions, the simulation results indicated no potential occupant injury; however, there was a high likelihood of injury to adjacent pedestrians caused by the falling roof and windscreen debris. Furthermore, pedestrians inside the bus shelter were highly likely to get severe injury by the striking vehicles.
  
Howie Fang
Researchers
  
Howie Fang
  
Joel Howerton
  
Mustan Kadibhai, PE, CPM

Report Period

  • August 1, 2017 - December 31, 2019

Status

  • Complete

Category

  • Traffic, Mobility, Safety and Roadway Design

Sub Category

  • Traffic Safety

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