Roadway
The driving environment has changed dramatically since most older adults became drivers. Roadways today are much more congested and complex than they were when they learned to drive. Roadway improvements designed to compensate for the age-related changes can make the task of negotiating today's roads and highways not only easier, but safer for everyone.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) State Traffic Engineering and Operations Office handles issues related to aging drivers, traffic studies, intersection operations, signing, pavement marking, signals and traffic engineering standards for the State Highway System. If you have traffic related concerns on a state maintained road, you can locate a District Traffic Operations Engineer for your county.
For concerns on city or county-maintained roads you can find the appropriate local Traffic Engineering office through these links: City Maintained Roads or County Maintained Roads.
Improvements That Benefit Aging Road Users
The FDOT began implementing roadway improvements in 1991 through routine maintenance activities responding to revised design standards based on the Federal Highway Administration's Highway (FHWA) Design Handbook for Older Drivers and Pedestrians.
These roadway improvements were installed on our State Highway System and are now part of the state's standards. These improvements fall under the following areas:
- Increasing visibility
(6-inch wide pavement markings, lighting, reflective pavement markers, and larger lettering on guide signs) - Improving pedestrian features
(refuge islands, slower walk speeds, high-emphasis crosswalks) - Providing advance notification
(advance guide signs, advance stop, warning, and yield signs)
You can find specific information and links to the standards and guidelines for the roadway improvements that have been implemented on the State Highway System to benefit aging road users on the FDOT website.
Roadway Features
Roundabouts
Other improvements that can help improve safety are roundabouts which are
circular intersections with no traffic signal, where vehicles flow around a
center island. Sometimes called the safest form of traffic control in the world,
roundabouts are also some of the most attractive features in modern roadway
design. While roundabouts help eliminate a number of safety problems, they also
can be confusing for drivers when they are not use to them that is why the
FDOT
has developed educational materials to help safely navigate roundabouts:
If you are interested in receiving hard copies of the roundabout materials, please email the Safe Mobility for Life Resource Center.
Other Resources
- The FHWA has created a Roundabout website that contains information on crash types and causes, technical implementation and tools, research, and resources including the video, Modern Roundabouts: A Safer Choice.
- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has developed a Roundabout Question and Answer page on their website and also a two-minute video on "How Roundabouts Work" that can help educate.
- Liberty Mutual has an article in their magazine on Roundabouts.
- The Michigan Department of Transportation has information on their website about roundabouts including common misconceptions about this roadway feature plus other interesting articles.
- Time Magazine wrote an article on
Roundabouts.
Intersections
By their nature intersections can be the most dangerous of roadway features. They are the one place where all road users
all come together in a mix that has
the greatest potential for conflict.
The Advocates for Highway Safety website includes information on the safety dangers posed by intersections.
More information on other policies and innovations regarding Intersections is available on the FDOT website..
Countdown Pedestrian Signals
These signals consist of a regular pedestrian signal with standard shapes and color, and an added display showing the number of seconds
left to safely cross the street. For more information, FDOT has developed
an
Countdown Pedestrian Signal educational tip card.
An 11x17 countdown pedestrian signal poster is available for download.
Other Resources
AAA Foundation produced a report on Pedestrian Signal Safety.
Resources and information tailored specifically for planners and engineers who are interested in designing for safety and usability for aging drivers can be accessed on the Engineer and Planner Resources page.
All-Electronic No Cash Tolling
All-electronic tolling is now operational on Florida's Turnpike from U.S. 1 (Milepost 0) in Florida City to the Miami-Dade/Broward County line (Milepost 47). To learn more information and view a map, you can access this link: FL Turnpike All Electronic Toll Brochure.
Help on the Road
To find out about current construction information on Florida's highways, please visit the FDOT's Florida Highway Construction Information website.
511
511 is a free service of the FDOT that offers travel information along with personalized profiles you can choose. The following types of information is provided for travelers throughout the State of Florida and is constantly updated for:
- Traffic Warnings and Updates
- Traveler Information
- Highway Construction Information
- Traffic Information System
- Statewide 511 Travel Information
You can learn more about 511, including view a tip sheet or other help information on the 511 website. To can also view the roadways that are covered by 511 on their website.
You can view a 511 video designed specifically for aging drivers on our YouTube page.
Road Rangers Service Patrol
The FDOT's Road Rangers Service Patrol has become one of the most effective elements of the incident management
program created by the FDOT. It is their mission to provide free highway assistance services during
incidents to reduce delay and improve safety for the motoring public and responders. The Road Ranger Service
Patrol consists of roaming vehicles, which patrol congested areas and high incident locations along urban
freeways and have equipment to assist drivers (such as booster cables, jacks, sand, fire extinguishers, first
aid kits, reflective cones, etc.).
Stranded motorists just need to dial *FHP (*347) to access the Road Ranger Dispatch.
Benefits of the program include:
- Reduction of crashes
- Reduction of incident duration by assisting
the Florida Highway Patrol - Assistance to disabled or stranded motorists
- Removal of road debris
You can learn more about the Road Rangers Service Patrol
on their
website.
