GEOMETRIC DESIGN
SIGHT DISTANCE
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
“The designer (of a roadway) should provide sight distance
of sufficient length the drivers can control the operation of
their vehicles to avoid striking an unexpected object in the
traveled way”
It means that a motorist should be able to see cars, deer,
kids etc in intersections or roadways in enough time to stop
before hitting them.
Passing Sight Distance
• “The Passing driver should be able to see a sufficient
distance ahead, clear or traffic, so the passing driver can
decide whether to initiate and to complete the passing
maneuver without cutting off the passed vehicle before
meeting an opposing vehicle that appears during the
maneuver.”
Stopping Sight Distance
• AASHTO - “The Available sight distance on a roadway
should be sufficiently long to enable a vehicle traveling at
or near the design speed to stop before reaching a
stationary object in its path.”
• Sight distance along roadway should provide enough
distance for a driver to come to a complete stop after
seeing a condition requiring the stop.
• is the viewable distance required for a driver to see so
that he or she can make a complete stop in the event of
an unforeseen hazard.
Stopping Sight Distance (Trucks and Buses)
• Requires longer braking distances than passenger cars,
but their stopping sight distances in most designs. This is
because the driver's eyes are higher and their sight
distances is consequently increased.
• Drivers of these vehicles also tend to be more
experienced and alert.
Decision Sight Distance
• Normally, the stopping sight distance is an adequate sight
distance for roadway design. However, there are cases
where it may not be appropriate. In areas where
information about navigation or hazards must be
observed by the driver, or where the driver’s visual field is
cluttered, the stopping sight distance may not be
adequate.
• There are avoidance maneuvers that are far safer than stopping,
but require more planning by the driver. These may not be
possible if the minimum stopping sight distance is used for design.
In these instances, the proper sight distance to use is the decision
sight distance.
Factors affecting Sight Distances
• Reaction time of driver
is the time taken from the instant the object is visible to the driver to the instant
when the brakes are applied.
• Speed of the vehicle
The speed of the vehicle very much affects the sight distance. Higher the
speed, more time will be required to stop the vehicle. Hence it is evident that, as
the speed increases, sight distance also increases.
• Frictional resistance between the tyre and the road
The frictional resistance between the tyre and road plays an important role to
bring the vehicle to stop. When the frictional resistance is more, the vehicles
stop immediately. Thus sight required will be less.
• Efficiency of brakes
The efficiency of the brakes depends upon the age of the vehicle, vehicle
characteristics etc. If the brake efficiency is 100%, the vehicle will stop the
moment the brakes are applied. But practically, it is not possible to achieve
100% brake efficiency. Therefore the sight distance required will be more when
the efficiency of brakes are less. Also for safe geometric design, we assume
that the vehicles have only 50% brake [Link] resistance between
the tyre and the road
• Gradient of the road
the vehicle can stop immediately. Therefore sight distance required is less.
While descending a gradient, gravity also comes into action and more time will
be required to stop the vehicle. Sight distance required will be more in this case.
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