Performance of Right-Turn Lane Designs at Intersections

Right-turn lane (RTL) crashes are among the most key contributors to intersection crashes in the US. Based on their design, traffic volume, and location, different right-turn lanes have varying levels of crash risk. Therefore, engineers and researchers have been looking for alternative ways to improve the safety and operation of right-turn traffic. This study investigated the traffic safety performance of the RTL in Indiana based on multiple sources, including official crash reports, official databases, and field studies. To understand the RTL crashes' influencing factors, the authors introduced a random effect negative binomial model and log-linear model to estimate the impact of influencing factors on crash frequency and severity, and the authors adopted the robustness test to verify the reliability of estimations. In addition to the environmental factors, spatial and temporal factors, intersection, and RTL geometric factors, the authors propose the compound factors among the RTL geometrics and intersection characteristics to address the endogeneity issues, which is rarely addressed in accident-related research literature. Last, the authors developed a case study with the help of the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). The empirical analyses indicated that RTL crash frequency and severity is mainly influenced by turn radius, traffic control, and other intersection-related factors such as right-turn type and speed limit, channelized type and Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT), and acceleration lane and AADT. The effects of these factors were different among counties and right-turn lane roadway types.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284317277
• Summary URL:
  https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?filename=2&article=3290&context=jtrp&type=additional
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/56305
• Corporate Authors:

  Purdue University

  Joint Transportation Research Program
  West Lafayette, IN  United States  47907-2051

  Indiana Department of Transportation

  100 N Senate Avenue
  Indianapolis, IN  United States  46204

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Ukkusuri, Satish
  • Ling, Lu
  • Le, Tho V
  • Zhang, Wenbo
• Publication Date: 2020-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 87p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Crash rates; Crash severity; Geometric design; Intersections; Right turn lanes; Statistical analysis; Traffic safety
• Geographic Terms: Indiana
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01774797
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/IN/JTRP-2020/26
• Contract Numbers: SPR-4218
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jun 23 2021 2:35PM