Development of Strategies for Shared Use of Roadways Between ROV/ATV and Typical Highway Vehicles

Project #: 4WA976
Start Date: 08/01/2024
End Date: 09/30/2025
Status: Current
ABSTRACT:

Use of public roadways and their rights-of-way (ROWs) by ROV/ATV users have resulted in maintenance issues as well as safety concerns, in part from their interaction with typical roadway users. This project will obtain input from local agencies, law enforcement, state departments of transportation (with a safety and maintenance focus), and ROV/ATV users via surveys. It will analyze South Dakota ROV/ATV crash data. It will conduct interviews of South Dakota agency personnel. The result will be to identify potential strategies to address the maintenance and safety impacts of ROV/ATV users of public roadways and their ROWs.

OBJECTIVE:
  1. Analyze past recreational off-road vehicle (ROV)/all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crash data to identify contributing factors that have an overrepresentation of crashes on South Dakota public roads and identify safety concerns resulting from ROV/ATV and typical highway vehicle shared use.
  2. Identify the operational and maintenance needs of South Dakota roads and road rights-of-way (ROW) resulting from ROV/ATV use.
  3. Recommend strategies to improve the safety of typical highway vehicles and ROV/ATV on public roadways and to address the operational and maintenance needs of South Dakota roads and road ROWs due to ROV/ATV use.
  4. Develop an implementation plan for federal, state, and local agencies to implement safety, operational, and maintenance strategies for future and existing use on South Dakota roadways.

Public road users, ROV/ATV users, and SDDOT will benefit from the results of this research, as the strategies identified will seek to address the safety and operational impacts of shared use.

PERSONNEL:

  • Natalie Villwock-Witte
    (PI)
    Natalie Villwock-Witte
    (PI)

REPORTS & DOCUMENTS:

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