FREEWAY RAMP CONTROL REDUCES FREQUENCY OF REAR END ACCIDENTS

THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE ACCIDENT FREQUENCY ON THE INBOUND SECTION OF THE GULF FREEWAY BEFORE THE ENTRANCE RAMPS WERE CONTROLLED AND THEN EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RAMP CONTROL IN REDUCING THE FREQUENCY OF REAR-END ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT OF THE IMPROVED LEVEL OF SERVICE ON THE FACILITY. ONLY REAR-END ACCIDENTS OCCURRING ON WEEKDAYS BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 7'00 A.M. AND 9'00 A.M. WERE CONSIDERED. ACCIDENT LOCATIONS WERE CLASSIFIED AS EITHER FREEWAY, RAMP, OR FRONTAGE ROAD. REAR- END ACCIDENTS WERE SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED AFTER THE RAMP CONTROL WAS INITIATED. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY TRUE AT ON-RAMPS AS NO REAR-END ACCIDENTS OCCURRED AT THESE LOCATIONS AFTER RAMP CONTROL WAS BEGUN. ALL REAR-END COLLISIONS ON THE SIX MILE FREEWAY WERE REDUCED BY APPROXIMATELY 50 PERCENT AFTER RAMP CONTROL WAS BEGUN. /BPR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Hpr, 2-8-61-24, 1/6/
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
  Arlington, TX  United States  76011

  Texas State Department of Highways & Public Transp

  11th and Brazos Streets
  Austin, TX  United States  78701
• Authors:
  • Radke, M L
• Publication Date: 1967-1-5

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Before and after studies; Control; Crash rates; Freeways; Interchange ramps; Level of service; Rear end crashes; Reduction (Chemistry)
• Old TRIS Terms: Freeway ramps; Reduction
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224836
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Mar 20 1994 12:00AM