Road Safety Audit of State Road 190 with Georgia Department of Transportation
August 10-11, 2011
Submitted by Sue Duggan

Who would have thought building relationships was most important? A recent Road Safety Audit is just one example of ABATE building relationships with government agencies.
 
It all began on June 10th with Dan Forrest, Linda Allen, and Sue Duggan meeting with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in Atlanta, Georgia, to discuss several concerns, which included signage issues and road conditions. Out of that conversation came the mention of a particular road, State Road 190, on the Pine Mountain ridge in Meriwether County. Two particularly dangerous curves were discussed and the conversation led to additional possible signage to be placed near mile marker 2.
One of the attendees, a statistician named Norm Cressman, took the conversation to heart and checked into the accident statistics for this particular road. What he found out startled him. During the years from 2005 to 2009, there were over 400 cars a day traveling on this highway. There were fifty accidents within a four mile stretch on this road during this time period. Thirty-one accidents happened between mile marker 2.1 and mile marker 2. Twenty-one of the thirty-one accidents involved motorcycles. Two of the thirty-one accidents produced motorcycle fatalities.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is required to do at least two Road Safety Audits per year and they chose to perform one on State Road 190 because of this statistical data. Sue Duggan and Dan Forrest were invited to attend this audit on August 10th. The initial meeting began at the District 3 GDOT office in Thomaston, Georgia. They arrived around 10 a.m. and met with all areas of the GDOT such as Engineering, Design, Traffic Safety, Statistics, as well as the Georgia State Patrol from Meriwether County.

Maps were displayed on the conference table and the location via Google Earth was projected on the wall. Various discussions and interjections occurred. It was determined this stretch of the road contained a 16 degree curve and a 15 degree curve with what they called super elevation. This is when the high side doesn’t have sufficient elevation and centrifugal force wants to pull you off the road. After many conversations about what should be done, it was suggested they go to the site and walk the curves.
Dan and Sue arrived first and after a few photos, the GDOT arrived in several vehicles. After putting on a few safety vests, everyone started walking this stretch of the road. Both sides of the highway were canvassed and after locating a few motorcycle parts, drawn lines on the pavement from recent accidents, and dislodged highway sign poles, it was determined that maybe this road was more hazardous than first thought.

After measuring, jotting down information, and the continuation of earlier discussions, the GDOT van was fully loaded with all concerned personnel and the original four mile stretch was driven. Everyone was a little concerned as the van made its way through the curves under the speed limit and tilting with the weight in the vehicle. After making its way back to the pull out area, it was understood that this Road Safety Audit was not done in vain. Both Dan Forrest and the Georgia State Patrol officer were in agreement that in the very least, more signage was needed.

Several men planned to return to the site after dark to survey the location at night, with plans to return to Thomaston the following morning at 10:00 a.m. The audit is not completely finished yet, but GDOT will let ABATE know of its results. This is one relationship ABATE wants to continue to foster.
If you know of any roads that are hazardous to motorcyclists, take the time to report the location on our abatega.org website Hazard Form. The life you save may be your own.