BACKGROUND

NCHRP Project 17-18(8) initiated development of a Human Factors Guidelines (HFG) document. This document is to be a resource that highway designers and traffic engineers can readily use in their work. It will serve as a complement to existing and planned design guides and standards, such as the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, AASHTO's Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, and the under-development Highway Safety Manual. Although existing design standards recognize some basic road-user design parameters, the standards do not provide sufficient explanation and background to develop solutions to the many, varied types of design and operational problems associated with human behavior and capabilities. Human factors guidelines are needed to provide engineering solutions to human-centered safety problems and to address aspects of roadway safety specifically from the road-user perspective. The ultimate goal is to develop the HFG as a comprehensive set of human factors safety guidelines to assist engineers and others to achieve safer and more useable design, operation, and maintenance of roadways. Although there are many groups who may use the HFG, the primary audience includes those practitioners dealing with design and operational issues in their normal work. Therefore, the HFG must be user friendly and easily cross-referenced with existing design manuals.

NCHRP Project 17-18(8) developed a preliminary outline for the HFG and drafts of Chapters 1 and 5. A CD-ROM of the draft chapters has also been developed. In addition, the TRB Joint Subcommittee on International Human Factor Guidelines for Road Systems will develop a draft Chapter 3. The TRB Joint Subcommittee, which was created to help plan the development of a human factors guideline for road systems, at its meeting discussed the next steps in developing the HFG. They recommended that the next steps include refinement and enhancement of Chapters 1, 3, and 5 and development of additional chapters. The intent is that the chapters developed under Project 17-18(8) and this project will serve as the initial HFG. The HFG will be recommended for adoption by AASHTO.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this research are to (1) develop a style guide for the Human Factors Guide (HFG); (2) refine Chapters 1, 3, and 5; (3) evaluate the CD-ROM delivery format developed as part of NCHRP Project 17-18(8); and (4) develop three selected new chapters for the HFG.

Accomplishment of the project objectives will require at least the following tasks.

TASKS (1.) Develop a style guide that includes direction for development and use of graphics, layouts, simulations, and animations; compatibility and elimination of redundancy between chapters; hypertext linking, keywords, and indexing; coordination of technical editing and outside review activities; and electronic software requirements and formats. (2.) Conduct a review of the deliverables developed in NCHRP Project 17-18(8) and recommend any revisions or modifications. (3.) Review the CD-ROM delivery method proposed in NCHRP Project 17-18(8) for the HFG and conduct a survey of potential end-users to evaluate this delivery method. Alternative delivery methods should be considered, if appropriate. The contractor should develop alternatives and provide recommendations to address any user concerns and incorporate the Joint Subcommittee's workshop recommendations. (4.) Revise Chapters 1, 3, and 5 based on the Task 1 style guide and the findings of Tasks 1, 2, and 3. (5.) Conduct a literature review and online review of the TRB Joint Subcommittee website (http://gulliver.trb.org/wb/wbpx.dll/~A3b00/login) to develop the content of the additional chapters to be recommended in the interim report. (6.) Submit an interim report that summarizes the findings of Tasks 1 through 5 and includes the draft style guide and revised Chapters 1, 3, and 5 for review by the NCHRP. The interim report shall also recommend the chapters to be developed in Tasks 8 and 9.

Note: The following chapters are listed in priority order of panel preference:

• Chapter 4, Basic Road User Capabilities
• Chapter 6, Curves
• Chapter 10, Unsignalized Intersections
• Chapter 11, Signalized Intersections
• Chapter 13, Construction and Work Zones

(7.) Meet with the NCHRP Panel to review the Task 6 interim report approximately 2 months after its submittal. After the meeting, submit a revised interim report addressing the decisions made at the meeting. (8.) Develop annotated outlines for the chapters to be developed in Task 9. (9.) Develop draft chapters from the approved outlines. (10.) Provide a work plan identifying the level of effort and costs needed to produce the full media format for the chapters developed in Task 9 and the chapters revised in Task 4. (11.) Participate in a Joint Subcommittee workshop to review the materials developed under this project. (12.) Submit a final report documenting the entire research effort. The final report shall describe how the project was conducted and include as appendices the revised Chapters 1, 3, and 5; the chapters developed in Task 9; and the Task 10 work plan. (13) Develop a full media version of all new and revised chapters. (14) Develop additional HFG chapter on curves.

Status: The project has been completed and the final reports published.

Product Availability: NCHRP Report 600A, Human Factors Guidelines for Road Systems, Collection A: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 13, 22, 23, 26.  NCHRP Report 600B, Human Factors Guidelines for Road Systems, Collection B: Chapters 6, 22(Tutorial 3), 23 (Updated).

Individual chapters of NCHRP Report 600 are available for download in PDF format.