Paging DataDan and Others with Info

[mosquito]

Hi guys!

Hope things are good for everyone; sorry I've been mostly quiet in the last while.

But, today my friend Krista 84 would like to connect up and talk about ways to improve moto safety on Hwy 84 in Santa Cruz mountains.

--

So, Krista, what kind of data / info have you collected so far and what else would you like to collect or help collect? Tell us what you're looking for and people will help out as they can.

 

[Krista 84]

Hi David!

I am looking for data that can help make the road safer for cars and motorcyclists. Residents of La Honda have formed a traffic committee and we are taking inventories of turnouts, potholes, signs, etc. to make the road safer for everyone. I am happy to share the data we have collected in a week or so when we have everything. One member created a map showing accidents and we would like to compare data to see that we have it all. I have data from http://www.genepilot.com/CHP/showIncidents.php and any other data would be great!

Thank you so much!

Krista

 

[DataDan]

Welcome to BARF, Krista.

To get a comprehensive map of crash locations, first sign up at TIMS.berkeley.edu. TIMS = Transportation Injury Mapping System, and it is run by Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) at the University of California, Berkeley. There is no charge for the account or its use, and they don't send spam.

After you're signed up and logged in, you can view a map of crash locations. Under the Tools tab, scroll down to Motorcycle Collision Map Viewer and follow the instructions. Here's a screen shot (click on it to embiggen):



When you interactively create the map, each of the icons displayed can be clicked to show more info.

This may reveal location patterns that your group could use to address hazards in certain spots, but IMHO the common denominators in motorcycle crashes are more likely to be related to the rider and less to the location.

 

[GPzPop]

Barf delivers up knowledge! well done all!

--S

 

[fubar929]

This may reveal location patterns that your group could use to address hazards in certain spots, but IMHO the common denominators in motorcycle crashes are more likely to be related to the rider and less to the location.

While this generalization is likely correct, I've had several close calls recently where drivers on Entrada Way (the road next to Apple Jacks) decided that their need to make a left turn onto 84 trumped my legal right of way... Perhaps the stop sign on Entrada Way needs a "cross traffic doesn't stop" reminder?

 

[Krista 84]

Thank you for the info! I like the map and info you provided. I agree that people are usually the cause but if there is anything we can do to warn them better I think that might help, or at least it's worth a try.

I also like the idea of putting a sign to remind people of cross traffic not stopping at Entrada. I take that every day and totally stop longer than I probably need to but I'm sure many don't! Locals aren't perfect either and we are trying to work on tackling them too.

We can't tell everyone to slow down because slow people are the problem too! People go too slow and then people get impatient and pass them and or multiple people which also causes accidents. That's why I inventoried all of the turnouts to make them safer so people will use them.

Feel free to share any more suggestions!

Thanks so much!

Krista

 

[fubar929]

I also like the idea of putting a sign to remind people of cross traffic not stopping at Entrada. I take that every day and totally stop longer than I probably need to but I'm sure many don't! Locals aren't perfect either and we are trying to work on tackling them too.

My close calls have always been on the weekends, which makes me think that the offending drivers are more likely to be visitors. In my experience, drivers local to the area are less likely to be a problem than visitors and weekend warriors. The "cross traffic doesn't stop" sign would help those visitors remember that Entrada & 84 is a 2-way stop, not a 4-way.

That's why I inventoried all of the turnouts to make them safer so people will use them.

I wonder if people who don't drive in the hills frequently even know what a "turnout" is? Or when it should be used? Two suggestions:

1) make sure all turnout locations are clearly marked in advance

2) use a sign that makes the purpose of the turnout more obvious (ex: "CVC 21656: Pull over HERE to let faster traffic pass")

 

[mosquito]

I like those ideas fubar.

Some things I mentioned on the phone to Krista were signage things too like maybe marking places that often have debris or maybe somehow marking turns that are decreasing radius turns.

If there were additional signs at some spots with an "eyes" or "eyeglasses" icon, does anyone think riders would slow down more there?