Theory & Concepts: Passing Sight Distance

If necessary, push the browser's BACK button to exit.

Location (ft)

To really understand the passing sight distance, you need to get a feeling for how the various variables effect the passing sight distance. Play with the variables below and watch the graph change. You may want to compare the passing sight distances that you generate to the Pass I passing sight distances recommended by AASHTO. Pass f slow The model used in this spreadsheet assumes that all of the acceleration takes place before the passing vehicle moves into the left lane. Simply point at the lines on the graph to view their descriptions. opposing dist p/r dist acc

Location versus T
73.33 87.9996 2500 65.997

2000 1500

50 60 2.5 1.5 45 50 22 35

Initial speed of passing vehicle (mph) Passing speed of passing vehicle (mph) Passing vehicle driver's perception/reaction time (sec) Passing vehicle's acceleration rate (mph/sec) Speed of slow vehicle (mph) distance 1 Speed of opposing vehicle (mph) distance 2 distance 4 Length of passing vehicle (ft) distance 3 Length of slow vehicle (ft)

73.3335 1000 183.325 time p/r 537.8717 time acc opp strt d 721.1967 time 1 0 387.9524 time 2 215.5284 time 4 100

2.5 6.668303 2204.789 9.168303 4.40857 5 2.939017

500

20 20 100

Clearance distance between passing and slow vehicles at lane change (ft) Clearance distance between passing and slow vehicles at lane re-entry (ft) Clearance distance between passing and opposing vehicles at lane re-entry (ft)

183.3 2.5 537.9 6.7 721.2 9.2

D1 Perception/Reaction distance (ft) Perception/Reaction time (sec) Acceleration Distance (ft) Acceleration time (sec) Total distance (ft) Total time (sec) D3 Total Distance (ft)

388.0 4.4

D2 Total distance (ft) Total time (sec)

100

215.5 2.9

D4 Total Distance (ft) Total time (sec)

Passing Sight Distance (ft):

1424.7

utton to exit.

Location versus Time P/R--> Passing

0 183.325

loc

Time 0 2.5

Opposing 2204.789 0 1010.021 16.29225 distance 2 721.1967 9.168303 1109.149 13.57687

final Time1109.149 13.57687 (sec) 1348.101 16.29225 slow vehicle 171.1162 0 1246.356 16.29225 acceleration 183.325 2.5 232.7128 3.16683 283.0788 3.833661 334.4231 4.500491 386.7457 5.167321 440.0465 5.834152 494.3256 6.500982 549.5829 7.167812 605.8184 7.834642 663.0323 8.501473 721.2243 9.168303

10

15

20