KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION METHODS FOR THE IHSDM DIAGNOSTIC REVIEW EXPERT SYSTEM

The Federal Highway Administration's Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM) is a suite of CADD-compatible programs that highway designers can use to evaluate the safety effects of various design alternatives. The IHSDM will include a Policy Review Module, a Design Consistency Module, a Driver/Vehicle Module, a Traffic Analysis Module, and an Accident Analysis Module. IHSDM development efforts have thus far been concentrated on two-lane rural roads. Current plans for the Accident Analysis Module consist of models to estimate the number and severity of accidents on specified roadway segments, a benefit/cost analysis model to evaluate alternate roadside designs, and an expert system that can evaluate a design alternative and identify geometric deficiencies that may impact safety. In this report, the term Diagnostic Review Component (DRC) is used to define this expert system. The key to the DRC will be the knowledge base that will be accessed to "flag" potential design-related safety deficiencies. In addition, the DRC will ultimately have the capability to provide users with suggested improvements that could mitigate the safety problems. This report presents the results of a feasibility study of alternative methods for developing the knowledge base for the DRC. Alternative sources of knowledge that were reviewed included the following: interviews with State highway design personnel and review of State highway safety improvement programs; interviews with experts in safety, geometric design, accident investigation, traffic engineering, and human factors; in-depth investigations of accident sites; and review of highway safety research and safety-audit literature. The advantages, disadvantages, and development implications for the expert system's knowledge base are discussed for each method. Findings from the feasibility investigations of each method are documented. Finally, recommendations for subsequent research, including a detailed experimental plan for the development of a prototype DRC, are presented.

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• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/13552
• Corporate Authors:

  Bellomo-McGee, Incorporated

  8330 Boone Boulevard, Suite 700
  Vienna, VA  United States  22182

  Federal Highway Administration

  Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, 6300 Georgetown Pike
  McLean, VA  United States  22101
• Authors:
  • Hughes, W E
  • Schuckel, C
  • Smith, M
  • McGee, H W
• Publication Date: 1997-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 241 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Crash analysis; Crash investigation; Data collection; Deficiencies; Diagnostic tests; Expert systems; Feasibility analysis; Future; Guides to the literature; Highway design; Highway safety; Identification systems; Interviewing; Literature reviews; Recommendations; Research; Safety; Safety programs
• Identifier Terms: Interactive Highway Safety Design Model
• Uncontrolled Terms: Data sources; Future research; Identification
• Old TRIS Terms: Diagnostic review component; Safety research
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00746703
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-RD-97-134, 3A5A, Final Report
• Contract Numbers: DTFH61-92-C-00172
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Mar 12 1998 12:00AM