State-Journal.com - Curve where teen died will get safety improvements

The state plans to make several improvements at a curve on U.S. 460 where a local high school student died in March – but a safety advocate says the measures are insufficient.

According to a letter from Transportation Secretary Joe Prather dated May 5, additional chevrons have been installed at mile point 4.3 on U.S. 460 near the Scott–Franklin county line.

On March 14 Jennifer “Jenn” Penn, a senior at Franklin County High School, died in a single car accident near that location. According to the accident report, her 2001 Dodge Neon slid sideways and struck a guardrail after losing traction.

The road was wet, and Penn was traveling between 55 and 60 mph at the time of accident – signs along the curve suggest reducing speed to 35 mph. She was returning home to Georgetown after performing in the FCHS spring musical “The Wizard of Oz.”

Prather said he’s recommended that highway crews install fluorescent flashing yellow beacons, which have reflective tape to enhance visibility and provide advance warning.

Prather said the agency is also investigating the possibility of installing “high friction material” to address “the pattern of wet-related collisions.”

“We believe the improvements being made at this location will greatly enhance the safety of this curve,” Prather wrote.

A spokesman for the district 7 highway office, which includes Scott County, said a date for the improvements has not been set yet. The additional signage will cost about $5,500 and the new asphalt will use more stone to prevent skidding, according to officials.

However, Gerard Gerhard, a former assistant attorney general and highway safety advocate, said the proposed improvements are “pathetic.”

Gerhard had requested oversized chevrons at the curve and said the chevrons that have been installed are too small – they measure 18 by 24 inches.

“They are too small to ‘command respect or attention’ from motorists,” Gerhard wrote in his response. “The small chevrons are minimally visible during daylight. From a distance at night, they appear like dots.”

The curve at mile point 4.3 is “substantial” and the chevrons don’t do enough to convey the hazard to approaching motorists, Gerhard wrote.

The flashing yellow beacons should be mandatory, Gerhard said, because they are dynamic rather than passive.

“They call someone’s attention to the problem,” he said.

However, he wants them to be installed – not just a recommendation.

“I want them to go ahead and do something,” Gerhard said.

The high-friction material would also be helpful, but the improvements should be implemented, not investigated, he said. In addition, the high-friction material alone is insufficient without additional signage, he said.

“It may prevent them from skidding, but if the signage is not there, there is still a chance they will be going too fast,” he said.

In addition, shortly before the curve, there’s an intersection warning sign that depicts a perpendicular intersection that could mislead motorists that the road ahead is straight, Gerhard said.

He wants the signs modified to show an intersection at a curve –he’s said he’s seen similar signs in other states.