AASHTO/FHWA CRASH ANALYSIS TASK FORCE

A key component of FHWA's ongoing safety strategy related to the 4-inch ET-Plus is evaluating real-world performance through the collection and analysis of a broad array of data. This effort began when FHWA asked AASHTO to include questions regarding the performance of W-beam end terminals in a 2012 survey of its Standing Committees on Maintenance and Design. It has expanded to include:

• Reviewing information provided by the States at our request, including crash reports involving guardrail end terminals. Reviewing and analyzing the information prepared for the qui tam trial in Texas, including the reports prepared by experts, the relator, Joshua Harman, and Trinity.
• Analyzing crash information submitted by Mr. Harman and submitted by the public in response to FHWA's Federal Register Notice on December 24, 2014. 79 Fed. Reg. 77,595.
• Mining our own safety data and data from our Federal safety partners, including the National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Study, National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System, the Highway Safety Information System, and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

All of these data and the recent retesting at SwRI will provide important information about the performance and safety of the ET-Plus. FHWA and AASHTO have formed a joint task force comprised of Federal and State safety experts who are charged with reviewing these data to assess potential limitations associated with the ET-Plus and other w-beam extruding guardrail terminals.

Task Force Report

Data Received

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