Utility Pole Safety and Hazard Evaluation Approaches (2020) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 70-78
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From page 70... ...
70 In 2017, the latest year for which data are available, 887 fatal utility pole crashes occurred in the United States, accounting for 914 fatalities. These numbers were about the same as those in recent years but lower than such fatality numbers from a decade or two ago.
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From page 71... ...
Conclusions 71 as minimum pole offset distances from the road in urban areas (e.g., 5 feet from the road) and in rural areas (e.g., 10 feet from the road)
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72 Utility Pole Safety and Hazard Evaluation Approaches Tracking High-Risk Poles Only four states indicated that their STAs routinely track locations with a high number of utility pole crashes. A few states noted that they have computer capabilities (such as mapping tools and computer databases)
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From page 73... ...
Conclusions 73 Local and Utility Owner Policies Of the 46 STAs that participated in the survey, 35 STAs answered that they knew of no local agencies or utility providers that have developed their own utility pole safety policies. Nine STAs mentioned local agencies that may have developed their own guidelines.
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74 Utility Pole Safety and Hazard Evaluation Approaches countermeasures such as moving poles further from the road (i.e., pole relocation) , reducing the number of poles within a roadway section (i.e., increased pole spacing)
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From page 75... ...
Conclusions 75 STAs can also use safety devices to reduce the severity of crashes when vehicles do leave the roadway. Such devices include composite yielding poles, steel-reinforced safety poles, crash cushions, concrete barriers, guardrails and crashworthy guardrail terminal ends, breakaway guy wires, buried duct networks for utility cables, and other less frequently used methods.
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From page 76... ...
76 Utility Pole Safety and Hazard Evaluation Approaches In addition, in most STAs, another office typically produces crash summaries and conveys crash trends and high-crash location information to the safety engineers. This safety engineering data office may also secure funding for implementing recommended treatments.
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From page 77... ...
Conclusions 77 Current Gaps in Knowledge Based on the review of literature and input from STA surveys, an understanding of the gaps in current knowledge sharpened. For example, gaps exist on the current economic analysis metrics for various treatment options that can improve the safety of individual utility poles or a line of poles along a highway.
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From page 78... ...
78 Utility Pole Safety and Hazard Evaluation Approaches 4. Model policies should be developed for STAs and UOs that go beyond the guidance in the AASHTO Green Book (AASHTO 2011a)
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