Print this page Utilities and Roadside Safety
Vincent D. Reynolds, MBA, P.E.
Course Outline
Utility poles along the roadway are sometimes essential to carry utility cables. This course will provide information regarding the causes of utility pole crashes and methods to decrease accidents. The course materials are based solely on the report “Utilities and Roadside Safety” as found on the website of the Transportation Research Board (TRB).
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.
Learning
Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student would have learned the following:
- Advantage of burying utility piles;
- Countermeasures that can reduce the number of utility poles;
- The use of low-profile barriers;
- Use of object markers;
- The number of fatalities related to trees\shrubbery;
- The number of fatalities related to utility pole crashes;
- The total cost related to relocating poles;
- How to predict the number of utility pole accidents;
- How to use the roadside design guide;
- Advantages of increasing pole spacing;
- Understanding location I, II, and III objects;
- How utility pole accidents are trying to be prevented nationwide including, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Washington, Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Texas, and Virginia;
- How conflict points are proportional to crashes;
- Annual cost to society that utility poles crashes represent; and
- Law cases that have been decided regarding utility pole crashes.
Intended Audience and Benefit
This course is intended for anyone that works in the utility field or roadway design, or anyone with an interest in utilities and roadside safety. After reading this course the student will know some causes of utility pole accidents as well as some methods to decrease those crashes.
Course Introduction
Utility poles along the roadway have been the cause of several fatal crashes for several years for cars that leave the roadway. To decrease these crashes several state and federal agencies have implemented ways to reduce or remove utility poles along areas of the roadway. This course will explore the safety, traffic and financial effects of roadway utility crashes and how to decrease those accidents.
Course Content
This course will explore the safety, traffic and financial effects of roadway utility crashes and how to decrease those accidents. The course materials are based solely on the report “Utilities and Roadside Safety” as found on the website of the Transportation Research Board (TRB). Please note that the appendix should be read as part of this course.
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Course Summary
The information presented in this course could be used to enhance our knowledge about the effects of utility poles in regards to roadside crashes. Using this knowledge could enable to reader to design safer roadways by decreasing utility pole crashes.
As always good judgment and good engineering judgment is always paramount in any situation. Utilizing good judgment and the knowledge gained in this course can provide much more safer and efficient highways.
Related Links
For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:
Quiz
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
