Impact of Road Median Characteristics on Safety Performance: A Review Study

Abstract

Roadway crashes remain a major global concern, accounting for nearly one-third of all traffic-related fatalities, particularly in mountainous regions. This study reviews and analyzes the impact of road median barrier characteristics on traffic safety, focusing on their role in minimizing crash frequency and severity. A systematic literature review was conducted to evaluate different median barrier types, materials, and configurations. Additionally, a case study was carried out to assess the effectiveness of cable median barriers in improving safety performance. Key findings from the literature review include that raised medians reduce overall crash frequency by 39%. The case study revealed that cable median barriers demonstrated high effectiveness, preventing over 90% of vehicles from crossing the median in the event of a collision. The review identifies a significant correlation between median design and crash outcomes, indicating that raised medians can reduce crash frequency by approximately 39%. The case study findings show that cable median barriers prevented over 90% of vehicles from crossing the median during collisions. The novelty of this work lies in its combined assessment of both literature and field data to provide a comprehensive understanding of median barrier efficiency and to highlight practical design implications for safer roadway systems.