Roadway Departure has been a factor in at least 63% of reported fatal crashes in Tribal areas. A roadway departure crash occurs when a vehicle leaves the traveled way resulting in a crash and may start with any of these events: impact with guardrail, impact with a fixed object (tree, utility pole, boulder, building, ditch, fence, etc.), ran off roadway, crossed median, crossed centerline, airborne vehicle, or re-entering the roadway.
Most roadway departure fatalities (71%) involve only one vehicle. Nine in ten roadway departure fatalities occur in rural areas with a significant portion, 47%, occurring on minor collector or lower classification rural roadways. Traffic volumes are typically lower at night, yet 43% of roadway departure crashes occur in the dark and 6% during dusk or dawn. Weather does not seem to play a significant role. (Source: Tribal Transportation Strategic Safety Plan )
There is a "Systemic Roadway Departure Countermeasures" category in the Tribal Transportation Program Safety Fund. This category has a goal of dedicating 25% of the available TTP Safety Fund toward addressing roadway departure. This category was established to streamline access to low-cost roadway departure countermeasures because roadway departure is involved in 63% of fatal crashes in Tribal areas.
Below is a link to the form that Tribes can use to request improvements aimed at reducing rural roadway departure during active TTPSF funding cycles. Tribes could also request funding from the "Data Assessment, Improvement, and Analysis" category to conduct a systemic safety study to collect the necessary data for participation in this new category.
TTPSF Systemic Roadway Departure Countermeasures Risk Assessment Form
About half of all roadway departure crashes in Tribal areas occur during low-light or night conditions. Ensuring the visibility of signs and pavement markings at night is one important way to reduce roadway departure crashes. Establishing pavement marking and sign maintenance policies is one way to address this need. Below you can find links to resources including the applicable sections of the MUTCD and case studies.