What clear zone needs to be maintained behind a curb?
The difference between a “clear zone” and horizontal clearance or “operational offset” has been a topic of much confusion. When the Green Book and the Roadside Design Guide were last updated, the AASHTO committees coordinated to dispel the misunderstanding that 2 feet (actually, 18 inches) behind a curb constituted a clear zone. Since curbs are now generally recognized as having no significant containment or redirection capability, clear zone should be based on traffic volumes and speeds, both without and with a curb. Realizing that there are still contradictory passages in various AASHTO documents, the Technical Committee on Roadside Safety has initiated a short-term project to identify all such inconsistencies and to recommend appropriate language corrections. This effort is underway. The fourth paragraph under Section 3.4.1 Curbs in the 2002 Roadside Design Guide correctly defines AASHTO’s “position”.
