Comparative Analysis of Aggressive-Driving and Distracted-Driving Crashes Involving Commercial Motor Vehicles in Kentucky

Aggressive driving and driver distraction have widely been reported as the two main causes of traffic crashes. According to the police crash database for the years 2015–2019 in Kentucky, crashes affected by driver aggressive violations and distraction activities accounted for nearly 20% and 36% of the total crashes involving commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), respectively, while they were responsible for 31% and 41% of the total severe crashes, respectively. This study aims at comparing the injury severity outcomes (severe versus non-severe) concerning aggressive-driving and distracted-driving crashes under various circumstances. Recent five years of CMV-related crashes (2015–2019) were collected from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). Separate Z-tests of proportions and chi-square tests of independence were, respectively, applied to identify the factors affecting the severity of crashes for each of aggressive-driving and distracted-driving CMV-involved crashes. The overall results of Z-test comparing the proportions of severe versus non-severe injuries showed that both aggressive- and distracted-driving crashes significantly increased injury severity. The test further demonstrated that, for all the significant variables, the proportion of severe injuries in aggressive-driving crashes was higher than that in distraction-related crashes. Interestingly, road segments with lanes equal to or less than 11 ft increased the risk of severe aggressive-related CMV crashes (odds ratio = 1.30), but reduced the risk of severe injuries in distraction-related CMV crashes (odds ratio = 0.77). Head-on crashes, use of alcohol or drugs, angle collisions, going straight ahead, and paved right shoulder were the top five factors increasing the risk of severe CMV-involved crashes caused by aggressive-driving and distraction behaviors. On the other hand, seatbelt use, sideswipe collisions, urban areas, at-fault CMVs, and annual average daily traffic (AADT) per lane greater than 10,000 were the top factors reducing the probability of severe injuries in CMV crashes related to driver aggressiveness and distraction. The study findings suggest that launching driving safety campaigns, removal of road distracting elements (e.g., billboards) at high crash risk spots, and intensifying traffic enforcement can reduce the severity of CMV crashes affected by aggressive-driving and driver-distraction acts.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784483534.024
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780784483534
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  1801 Alexander Bell Drive
  Reston, VA  United States  20191-4400
• Authors:
  • Hosseinpour, Mehdi
  • Smith, James
  • Williams, Baron
  • Clouser, Jessica
  • Anastasio, Israel
  • Haleem, Kirolos
• Publication Date: 2021

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: pp 272 - 284
• Monograph Title: International Conference on Transportation and Development 2021: Transportation Operations, Technologies, and Safety

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggression; Alternatives analysis; Chi square test; Commercial vehicles; Crash data; Crashes; Distraction; Driving; High risk locations; Injury severity; Traffic safety
• Identifier Terms: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
• Geographic Terms: Kentucky
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01777551
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780784483534
• Files: TRIS, ASCE
• Created Date: Jul 23 2021 3:26PM