CRITERIA FOR CLOSING MOUNTAIN PASSES BASED ON FRICTION MEASUREMENT AND CROSSWIND

摘要

In 2006 there was a bus accident on a mountain pass in Norway called “Dovrefjell”. Strong crosswind in combination with slippery road led to an accident with personal injuries. The Accident Investigation Board Norway investigated the incident and they had several recommendations which could improve the traffic safety on mountain passes like this.rnThe Norwegian Public Roads Administration together with research organisation SINTEF and the maintenance contractor Mesta, are now working on a project trying to find criteria for when is not safe to drive over this pass. The project should also look at how to better inform the road-users regarding the road condition during the wintertime.rnReducing the speed limit when driving conditions are difficult is one measure for upholding the traffic safety. We know that heavy vehicles are more vulnerable for crosswinds than passenger cars so one alternative could be diversified speed limits.rnThe project will also try to test a warning system with input from the wind speed and direction, the visibility and the friction level on the road. In the future it can be a possibility to have an automatic closing of the road based on these data. Today the decision is made by the contractor and the client jointly.