INVESTIGATION OF WEATHER FACTOR EFFECTS ON TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF DATA FROM INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN, WAS USED AS THE BASIS FOR A PILOT TYPE INVESTIGATION OF THE IDEA THAT TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ARE RELATED IN SOME WAY TO WEATHER PHENOMENA. STEPWISE REGRESSION ANALYSIS SHOWED THE PRIORITY RANKINGS AMONG WEATHER FACTORS HAVING AN EFFECT ON TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS WERE PRECIPITATION, TEMPERATURE, PAVEMENT CONDITION, LIGHTING, PRESSURE, RELATIVE HUMIDITY, SEASON VARIATION, AND WIND SPEED. POLYNOMIAL REGRESSION ANALYSIS FOR STATION PRESSURE ALONE SHOWED A STRONG EFFECT ON ACCIDENT RATE DUE TO THE CHANGE OF PRESSURE. LOW AIR PRESSURE CORRESPONDED WITH HIGHER ACCIDENT RATES. LOW TEMPERATURE PERIODS HAD MUCH HIGHER ACCIDENT RATES. SUDDEN CHANGES OF EITHER PRESSURE OR TEMPERATURE COULD NOT BE SHOWN TO HAVE A DIRECT EFFECT ON THE ACCIDENT RATE.

• Authors:
  • Orne, D E
  • Yang, A H
• Publication Date: 1972-10

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 14-20
• Serial:
  • Traffic Engineering, Inst Traffic Engr
  • Volume: 43
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash rates; Pressure; Regression analysis; Temperature; Weather
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222012
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 23 1973 12:00AM