title: Effectiveness of sealed shoulders and audible edge lines in Western Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sealing of road shoulders and installation of audible edge lines (also known as rumble strips or audio tactile profiled edges) are common engineering road treatments, often implemented to prevent run-off-road crashes. This quasi-experimental study evaluated the effectiveness of installing sealed shoulders and/or audible edge lines on the Albany Highway in Western Australia during 2000-2004 relative to matched control sites.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reduction in crash frequency post-2004 and the economic benefits of applying these treatments to 13 sites were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The treatments were highly effective overall, significantly reducing all-severity crash rate by 58 percent and casualty crashes by 80 percent. The reduction in crash cost was estimated to be $51.9 million Australian dollars over the lifetime of the treated sites, with $51.4 million attributable to the decrease in casualty crashes. After accounting for treatment costs, the net cost savings to the community were estimated at $50.6 million. The benefit-cost ratio across all treatment sites was 40.3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings justified the implementation of these treatments on rural roads in terms of benefits for reduction in both crash rate and crash cost.
authors.affiliation: Curtin Monash Accident Research Centre, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia. L.Meuleners@curtin.edu.au
authors.forename: Lynn B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Meuleners
authors.forename: Delia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hendrie
authors.forename: Andy H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004779:Environment Design / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D014904:Western Australia