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Understanding Sight Distance Types

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Suneth Thushara
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7 views22 pages

Understanding Sight Distance Types

Uploaded by

Suneth Thushara
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

SIGHT DISTANCE

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana


CEng FIE (SL), CEng MICE (UK), MCIHT (UK), MEng (Highway & Traffic), [Link] (Hons)

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 1


INTRODUCTION

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 2


INTRODUCTION
• Sight distance is unobstructed
distance of roadway ahead
visible to the driver.
• There are multiple types of
sight distances that include:
– Stopping sight distance,
– Overtaking sight distance
– Continuation Sight Distance
Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 3
INTRODUCTION
• Sight distances are provided for the
vehicles to cater for following
situations;
– To stop when approaching an
obstacle.
– When it requires to take a
decision regarding overtaking.
– When it requires making an
assessment of the course of
action to be taken at an
intersection.
Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 4
CONSTANTS USED
• In designing the Sight
Distances, following values are
used as standard RDA values;
• PIEV Value or the Total Reaction
time (tR) which is defined as
the time between the instant
the hazard comes into view and
the instant the vehicle begins to
slow down after the brakes
have been applied is taken as
2.5 Seconds.

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 5


CONSTANTS USED
• Driver eye height is considered as follows;
• Passenger Car -1.05m
• Commercial Vehicle -1.80m
• Object cut off height above road surface is taken as
follows;
• Approaching vehicle -1.15m
• Stationary object - 0.2m
• Vehicle tail height/Stop light - 0.6m
• Height of Head Light - 0.75m
• Upward Divergence Angle - 1.00 deg
• Vertical Clearance - 5.2m

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 6


STOPPING SIGHT DISTANCE

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 7


STOPPING SIGHT DISTANCE
• Stopping sight distance is the
minimum distance required for a
vehicle traveling at a particular
design speed to come to a
complete stop after an obstacle
on the road becomes visible.
• Stopping sight distance is
normally sufficient to allow an
alert and prudent driver to come
to a hurried stop under normal
circumstances.

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 8


STOPPING SIGHT DISTANCE
• Stopping sight distance
measured from the
driver’s eye to an object 6
inches above the roadway
surface. Stopping sight
distance is the summation
of two distances;
– The distance traveled
during the total
reaction time.
– The distance traveled
during braking time.

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 9


STOPPING SIGHT DISTANCE
• Stopping sight distance must, at a minimum be
obtained on all vertical and horizontal alignments.
• The Stopping Sight Distance (SSD) can be calculated
from following equation
2
t RV V
SSD  
3.6 254

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 10


SSD-DESIGN VALUES

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 11


EFFECT OF GRADE IN BREAKING
• The above Stopping Sight Distance is subject to
change with the effect of grade on braking distance.
Its influence can be shown in the following equation.

2
t RV V
SSD  
3.6 254(   .01G )

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 12


OVERTAKING SIGHT DISTANCE
• The necessity of the overtaking emerges
owing to the fact that all the vehicles do
not travel in uniform speed.
• Attention should be focused to design
the road such that the vehicles traveling
at the design speed has the chance to
overtake slower moving vehicles.
• To accomplish the overtaking manoeuvre
successfully sans danger, a driver should
be provided with the adequate and
sufficient sight distance.

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 13


OVERTAKING SIGHT DISTANCE

• On undivided roads, overtaking


involves the occupation of the road
space normally used by opposing
traffic.
• The overtaking sight distance is
defined as the distance which should
be available to enable the driver to
overtake another vehicle safely and
comfortably without interfering with
the speed of an oncoming vehicle
traveling at the design speed should
it come into the view after the
overtaking maneuver is started.
Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 14
OVERTAKING SIGHT DISTANCE
• Despite the fact that the actual safe
sight distance depends on many
variables, the following simplifying
assumptions are made.
• The overtaken vehicle travels uniformly at
one step lower than the design speed.
• The overtaking vehicle trails the
overtaken vehicle as it enters the
overtaking section.
• Overtaking maneuver is accomplished by
accelerating in the early part of the
maneuver up to reaching design speed
and completing the maneuver at the
same speed.
Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 15
OSD-DESIGN VALUES

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 16


CONTINUATION SIGHT DISTANCE

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 17


CONTINUATION SIGHT DISTANCE
• The difference between the
Continuation Sight Distance (CSD) and
the Overtaking Sight Distance (OSD) is
the fact that Continuation Sight
Distance assumes that the overtaking
vehicle is already on the other lane
when the decision is to be made
whether to complete or abort the
overtaking action.
• The Continuation Sight Distance is
generally shorter than the Overtaking
Sight Distance.

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 18


CONTINUATION SIGHT DISTANCE
• It is the standard RDA practice to
calculate the Continuation Sight
Distance to be twice as large as the
Stopping Sight Distance.
• If the Continuation Sight Distance can
be provided, it would automatically
fulfill the Stopping Sight Distance
requirement for speeds greater than
the specified design speed.

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 19


CONTINUATION SIGHT DISTANCE

• As far as the budget allows, the designer should


always explore for means to accommodate at least
the Continuation Sight Distance throughout the road
stretch.

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 20


CSD-DESIGN VALUES

Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 21


Eng. S.A.S.T Salawavidana 22

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