ESTIMATING THE SAFETY BENEFITS FOR ALTERNATIVE HIGHWAY AND/OR OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS. VOLUME I: RESEARCH SUMMARY

The objectives of this research project included the specific evaluation of a variety of design improvements for safety as well as the development of estimation techniques by which accident frequency and severity could be predicted and used for allocation of safety improvement funds. The former objective was achieved by studying 326 sites in Alabama, both test and control, to determine the effect of 14 different types of improvements. Both parametric and non-parametric statistical tests were applied, resulting in estimates of accident frequency and severity reduction. The ratio of PDO to total accidents, defined in this project as the severity ratio, was used for the latter estimate. Generally, the confidence intervals for these estimates were quite wide. A procedure was developed to translate such estimates into budget allocation policy by the use of dynamic programming. This volume is the first of a three-volume final report. It contains a summary of the research methodology and the essence of the findings. (FHWA)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Volumes II and III are unpublished, limited quantities may be requested for official use from Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C. 20590.
• Corporate Authors:

  Alabama State Highway Department

  11 South Union Street
  Montgomery, AL  United States  36130

  Federal Highway Administration

  Office of Research, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • McCarthy, J
  • Scruggs, J C
  • Brown, D B
• Publication Date: 1981-11

Media Info

• Pagination: 24 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash severity; Evaluation; Forecasting; Highway operations; Highway safety; Highways; Improvements; Research; Traffic
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fund allocations
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Society; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00377243
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-RD-81-179 Final Rpt., FCP 31A3-014
• Contract Numbers: DOT-FH-11-9184
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Aug 30 1983 12:00AM