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Development & Validation of a Model to Evaluate the Safety Performance of Cable Median Barriers

Cable median barriers are increasingly being used to reduce cross-median crashes on divided highways. They can be installed easily, have a low cost compared to other alternatives, can function effectively on sloped terrain, and do not cause the accumulation of drifting snow. Agencies installing these systems generally report significant reductions in cross-median crashes. This effort was initiated by the FHWA in response to a request from the North Carolina DOT. They noted that despite major reductions in crossover crashes, some crashes were still occurring after the installation of cable median barriers. The limited guidance and experience available to address this concern provided the impetus for this effort to enhance the means to analyze the performance of cable median barrier systems. The task of investigating the causes of the cross-median crashes was directed to the National Crash Analysis Center (NCAC). The NCAC analyzed those crossover crashes that had occurred after installation of the cable median barrier in North Carolina, developed a finite element (FE) model of a cable median barrier to allow detailed analysis of the interactions of a vehicle and the barrier, and applied vehicle dynamics models to understand the terrain-induced effects on the vehicle interface with the barrier.