Safety Benefits of Highway Infrastructure Investments

This report reviews and quantifies the important role of highway infrastructure improvements in improving traffic safety. The United States faces a major challenge in improving the traffic safety performance of road and street networks. Many types of improvements will be needed, including highway infrastructure improvements, as well as further vehicle safety technology improvements, increased enforcement, improved driver education, and better emergency medical services. While all of these improvement types are needed, infrastructure improvements may provide the most certain approach to reducing fatalities and serious injuries. Many infrastructure improvements have been widely implemented, providing years of performance data and allowing researchers to quantify their typical or average effects on safety. More than for any other type of investment in crash reduction, the benefits of infrastructure improvements can be estimated with a high degree of confidence. This report presents a summary of current knowledge on the crash reduction effectiveness of specific infrastructure improvements and illustrates the crash reduction benefits possible at individual locations through several case studies that showcase real projects implemented by State departments of transportation (DOTs). This report presents quantitative estimates of fatal and serious injury crash reductions that could be realized from specific levels of infrastructure investment by Federal, state, and local agencies.

• Record URL:
  https://aaafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SafetyBenefitsofHighway.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  https://aaafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SafetyBenefitsofHighwayFact.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • ©2017, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
• Corporate Authors:

  AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

  Washington, DC  United States 
• Authors:
  • Harwood, Douglas W
  • Hutton, Jessica M
  • Hans, Zachary N
  • Souleyrette, Reginald R
  • Fields, Michael A
• Publication Date: 2017-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 143p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefits; Case studies; Construction projects; Costs; Crash rates; Highways; Improvements; Infrastructure; State departments of transportation; Traffic safety
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Design; Finance; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01637010
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 31 2017 9:31AM