Assessing the Crash Risk Implications of Roadside Hazards

This paper, from the 2004 conference proceedings of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) Transportation Group, discusses the impact of roadside hazards on the occurrence and severity of rural single-vehicle accidents and the variables that cause these accidents. The authors note that accident prediction models have indicated that the location and type of roadside hazards (bridges, ditches, poles, trees), the consistency of the horizontal alignment, and pavement width are important variables that predict single-vehicle accidents in the rural setting. The paper includes numerous tables that present summary data on the number, location, and types of roadside hazards found alongside rural roads in New Zealand. The authors conclude by recommending that methods be undertaken to prioritize safety retrofits in order to ensure that funding is being spent where there is the greatest need, as current funding levels do not permit correction of all roadside hazards. This prioritizing can be done in conjunction with accident prediction models and could focus on the number of severe hazards within 3 meters of the edge of the pavement, the traffic volume, the road width, and the road alignment.

• Corporate Authors:

  Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand

  158 The Terrace
  Wellington,   New Zealand 
• Authors:
  • Turner, Shane
  • Dixon, Alan
  • Wood, Graham
• Conference:
  • Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) Transportation Group. Technical Conference Papers 2004
  • Location: Wellington , New Zealand
  • Date: 2004-9-8 to 2004-9-8
• Publication Date: 2004

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 15p
• Monograph Title: Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) Transportation Group. Technical Conference Papers 2004

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Bridges; Crashes; Ditches; Financing; Infrastructure; Retrofitting; Risk assessment; Roadside hazards; Rural areas; Sidewalks; Single vehicle crashes; Traffic volume; Trees; Utility poles
• Geographic Terms: New Zealand
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01052112
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jun 29 2007 7:37AM