Utility Poles: Appendix 7

Alabama DOT Study of Utility Pole Crashes

Between 1994 and 1998, there were 150 deaths in Alabama resulting from vehicle impacts with utility poles. That statistic placed Alabama 13th among the 50 states in the number of such deaths per 100 billion vehicle mile traveled (Federal Highway Administration, 2000). Federal regulations state that "When the transportation department determines that existing utility facilities are likely to be associated with injury or accident to the highway user …. the transportation department shall initiate or cause to be initiated in consultation with the affected utilities, corrective measures to provide for a safer traffic environment." [23 CFR 645.209(k)]. The data below are taken from a 2002 study to investigate the utility pole crash situation in Alabama (Lindly, 2002).

The overall objective of the study was to contribute to the State of Alabama's program to reduce crashes, injuries, and deaths by 20% in the next 10 years, a goal recently adopted by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), The Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA).

Magnitude of the Problem

Computerized crash data were examined in Alabama for the 5-year period 1996-2000 (the most recent data available.) In that period, there were 3,364 total utility pole related crashes and 327,720 other types of crashes on state-controlled roads in Alabama. Thus, 1.0 percent of crashes on state-controlled roads were related to utility poles. In that same period, there were 2,951 total fatalities on state controlled roads, of which 70 (2.4%) were utility pole related. Table 1 presents further statistics comparing utility pole crashes with non-utility pole crashes in Alabama.

Table 1. Utility Pole Crashes vs. All Other Crashes (State Routes, 1996-2000)

*Facilities are typically breakaway light supports

Further examination of the crash data showed that no state-controlled intersection in Alabama sustained more than one utility pole-related fatality in the past five years. No road segment sustained more than one utility pole-related fatality in the past five years. Only one five-mile section of road sustained more than one utility pole-related fatality in the past five years. Thus, it appears that fatal utility pole crashes on state-controlled roadways are somewhat random occurrences.

Figure 1 shows a utility pole line in Alabama that would be a strong candidate for remedial work. The roughly four mile line of lighting poles in the median along U.S. 80 in Selma, Alabama were involved in 16 property damage only and injury crashes in the most recent 3 year period. Poles are roughly 10 feet from either median edge.

Figure 1. Utility Pole Line on U.S. 80 in Selma, AL

What Nearby States Are Doing

A review of nearby states with utility pole safety programs showed that they addressed utility pole safety principally during DOT construction projects. Existing utility pole placements are reviewed during project design, and relocation/remediation is treated as part of the overall project. The remediation cost is borne principally by the utility companies.

Availability of Safety Funds

There is strong competition for safety funds in Alabama, with Hazard Elimination Safety (HES) funds used as the principle source. Only $2.9M of HES funds was available in 2001, and the research showed that most utility pole crash sites in Alabama could not compete effectively for HES funds with traditional types of projects. Two factors reduce the attractiveness of pole safety projects:

• Lack of precise crash records limits the ability to match crashes to specific poles, so simple, inexpensive treatments to a single pole may not be a realistic solution to these crashes.
• In urban areas, site complexity is increased by the variety of poles and pole owners present, as well as by the difficulty of relocating poles due to nearby buildings, signs, etc.

Sample Policy Developed

Considering the low impact an independent utility pole safety program would have on overall roadway safety, the difficulty in defining precise project boundaries, and the strong competition for safety funds, the researchers endorsed achieving pole remediation through inclusion in active DOT construction projects or to any sites that can be positively identified through the normal cost-benefit studies used for safety projects. The study endorsed a public/private partnership that addresses utility pole sites identified as part of the ALDOT's yearly crash analysis study and evaluation. Part of the program would include a renewed emphasis on two of ALDOT's current policies:

• Encouraging utility companies during the permitting process to install facilities well back from intersections and away from the outside of horizontal curves"
• Evaluating major projects as well as 3R/4R projects for safety treatments of existing utility poles.

References

1. Federal Highway Administration, Memorandum from D.A. Horne, Director, Office of Program Administration to J.D. Wilkerson, Alabama Division Administrator, 8/25/00.
2. Lindly, J.K., "Utility Pole Safety", University Transportation Center for Alabama, UTCA Report 01453-1, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 2002.