INVESTIGATION OF NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM ROADWAYS IN THE HSIS STATES

This is the summary of a study conducted by C.V. Zeeger, H.F. Huang, J.R. Stewart, and C. Williams of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center. The purpose of this study was to examine National Highway System (NHS) safety issues using the Federal Highway Administration's Highway Safety Information System (HSIS). The HSIS database contains information on accident, traffic, and roadway characteristics in California, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Utah, and Washington State. This analysis used data from each HSIS state except Utah. Also, this analysis only includes routes on state roadway systems. This summary explores the types of analysis that can be conducted with the HSIS regarding the impact of systematic improvements on NHS roadways. The results show that crash rates are consistently lower on NHS than on non-NHS roads for various roadway classes for all but one of the seven states that were examined. The data also reveal that NHS roads have a lower rate of fixed-object crashes, although the crash severity distribution is relatively constant for NHS and non-NHS roads. Furthermore, roadway geometrics such as lane and shoulder widths are better on NHS roads than on non-NHS roads, which could help to explain the lower crash rates on NHS roads. It is also possible that roadway alignment, roadside conditions, intersection design, and/or other roadway features are somewhat better on the NHS road system than on other roads.

• Record URL:
  • http://wwwhttp://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/98080/98080.pdf
• 
• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/14320
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Highway Administration

  Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, 6300 Georgetown Pike
  McLean, VA  United States  22101
• Publication Date: 1998-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 4 p.
• Serial:
  • HSIS Summary Report
  • Publisher: Federal Highway Administration

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alignment; Crash rates; Crash severity; Design; Geometric design; Highway safety; Intersections; Roadside; Single vehicle crashes
• Identifier Terms: Highway Safety Information System; National Highway System
• Uncontrolled Terms: Design features; Fixed objects
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00748247
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-RD-98-080
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 21 2000 12:00AM