Impact of Adaptive Traffic Control Systems on Crash Frequency and Severity
Despite seeing widespread usage worldwide, adaptive traffic control systems have experienced relatively little use in the United States. Of the systems used, the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS) is the most popular in America. Safety benefits of these systems are not as well understood nor as commonly documented. This study investigates the safety benefits of adaptive traffic control systems by using the large SCATS-based system in Oakland County, MI known as FAST-TRAC. This study uses data from FAST-TRAC-controlled intersections in Oakland County and compares a wide variety of geometric, traffic, and crash characteristics to similar intersections in metropolitan areas elsewhere in Michigan. Data from 498 signalized intersections are used to conduct a cross-sectional analysis. Negative binomial models are used to estimate models for three dependent crash variables. Multinomial logit models are used to estimate an injury severity model. A variable tracking the presence of FAST-TRAC controllers at intersections is used in all models to determine if a SCATS-based system has an impact on crash occurrences or crash severity. It is found to be statistically significant in 8 models. Estimates show angle crashes could be reduced by up to 19.3% at intersections with SCATS-based controllers. Severity results show a statistically significant increase in non-serious injuries, but not a significant reduction in incapacitating injuries or fatal accidents.
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Supplemental Notes:
- This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ANB20 Safety Data, Analysis and Evaluation.
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Corporate Authors:
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001 -
Authors:
- Fink, Joshua
- Kwigizile, Valerian
- Oh, Jun-Seok
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Conference:
- Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting
- Location: Washington DC, United States
- Date: 2015-1-11 to 2015-1-15
- Date: 2015
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Features: References; Tables;
- Pagination: 25p
- Monograph Title: TRB 94th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Actuated traffic signal controllers; Crash rates; Cross sectional studies; Fatalities; Highway safety; Injury severity
- Identifier Terms: Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS)
- Geographic Terms: Oakland County (Michigan)
- Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I73: Traffic Control; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01559076
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: 15-3076
- Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
- Created Date: Apr 1 2015 8:50AM