AN ANALYSIS OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS AND THE 55 MPH MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT OF THE ARIZONA STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM

The specific problem investigated in this report is: What causal relationship exists between the reduced number of Arizona traffic accidents and traffic fatalities in 1974 and the lower maximum 55 mph speed limit imposed at the beginning of the same year? The paper analyzes the profile statistics of drivers involved in fatal accidents, the characteristics of the vehicles involved, traffic-related environmental factors, relationship of various categories of accidents, and the relationships of the various categories of accidents which occurred on the state highway system study area in 1973 and 1974. Computer "dumps" of the 1973 and 1974 state highway system accident records were used by the authors, and profile statistics of the two years' fatal accidents were provided. The data were manually analyzed. It was concluded that: fatal driver characteristics could not be considered to have had any effect on the 1974 reduction of fatal accidents; vehicle characteristics could not be considered to have had any effect upon the 1974 reduction in fatal accidents; traffic-related environmental factors did exhibit changes between 1973 and 1974; all accident categories registered decreases on the study areas within the three highway systems, in 1974; the interstate system which, for the most part, was speed zoned for 75 mph in 1973, exhibited the largest decrease in total accident rates; and its appears that a definite change in travel patterns occurred within the state in 1974. /MSA/

• Corporate Authors:

  Arizona State University, Tempe

  Department of Engineering
  Tempe, AZ  United States  85281
• Authors:
  • Burritt, B E
  • Moghrabi, A
• Publication Date: 1975-5

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 110 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash rates; Data analysis; Drivers; Environmental impacts; Fatalities; Human characteristics; Mathematical analysis; Speed limits; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver characteristics; Motor vehicle accidents
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00141709
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Safety Council Safety Research Info Serv
• Report/Paper Numbers: MS Thesis
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 30 1977 12:00AM