JEFFERSON CITY – From 2012 through 2014, more than 520 people statewide ran off the road in a curve and didn’t make it home. Another, 2,593 were seriously injured.
To help combat this trend, the Missouri Department of Transportation recently installed 1,377 chevrons – yellow rectangular signs with black arrows – on curves in Boone and Callaway counties as part of a statewide initiative to reduce run-off-the-road crashes.
The chevrons are placed where the advisory speed for the curve is lower than the posted speed limit by at least 15 mph and where the road averages 1,000 vehicles a day or more. They are spaced so motorists will see multiple chevrons when driving into and through the curve.
In Boone County, 81 curves on 14 routes received the new curve signs. Fifty-nine curves on nine routes in Callaway County are now sporting the safety signs. Three of the curves are on Route 94 where it flows into Montgomery County.
“Data shows we have a problem with motorists running off the road in curves,” said Trent Brooks, traffic engineer for MoDOT’s Central District. “Chevrons are a low-cost solution to help keep motorists on the road.”
He added: “While we can’t predict where the next crash will happen, we can use our data to predict the types of crashes that will happen and work to prevent them.”
For more information, visit www.modot.org/central.
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Here is a breakdown of the routes in Boone and Callaway counties receiving chevrons:
Boone County
Route Number of curves
Route 124 4
Route E 19
Route J 12
Route Z 3
Route PP 2
Route VV 1
Route O 1
Route UU 4
I-70 north outer road 1
I-70 south outer road 2
Route 163 4
Route N 15
Route M 6
Route Y 7
Callaway County
Route Number of curves
Route Y 2
Route J 9
Route HH 7
Route H 3
Route C 3
Route AA 12
Route Z 2
Route O 3
Route 94 18 (3 in Montgomery County)