Specialized skid-resistant road surfaces being tested at 14 BC intersections

Drivers in Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Islanded are being treated to a pilot project designed to aid motorists at crash-prone intersections.

The new high-friction road surface treatment is made of a specialized aggregate and resin treatment that coarsens the road surface.

As a result, the road becomes more skid resistance and decreases necessary braking distances with the goal of reducing rear-end collisions.

The road applications are 150 to 250 metres long, depending on the location and braking patterns in the specified area.

According to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the 14 locations were determined after ICBC reviewed data from collisions and claims from off-ramps and intersections.

"The Federal Highway Administration in the U.S. were reporting that you can see 70 per cent prevention or minimization of collisions on wet pavement," said Kenedee Ludwar, the director of traffic and highway safety engineering with the Ministry of Transportation.

"We are hoping to see similar results," she said.

This $3.9-million project is part of a suite of changes underway to address rising ICBC insurance claim costs.