CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERSECTION ACCIDENTS IN RURAL MUNICIPALITIES (ABRIDGMENT)

This paper summarized applicable data collected on several comprehensive studies of small city and town intersections. Conclusions are drawn concerning those areas in which urban and rural accident patterns and roadway conditions are both similar and different and how the difference may affect traffic engineering decision making for rural areas. Tabulated summaries of accidents by intersection type, traffic control, geometrics, and signalized intersections are included. A comparison of accident rates under STOP or YIELD sign control versus traffic signal control was made for various intersection types and average daily traffic volumes. Accident data is also included for intersections that provide poor sight distance on at least one traffic approach or that have an unusually steep grade. The following conclusions apply to rural accident characteristics: A typical intersection with a given volume of traffic will have a higher accident frequency under traffic signal control than under STOP or YIELD sign control; Intersections with poor driver sight distance on one or more traffic approaches tend to have a higher-than-normal accident rate; Standardizing signal display should result in reduced accidents at locations with a relatively high number of angle collisions; The frequency of night accidents appears to be a tally unrelated to traffic patterns, traffic control, or intersection geometrics. The following conclusions apply only to rural municipalities: Intersections with severe grade, generally operate safety; Signalized intersections with volumes exceeding the traffic volume warrants are no safer than signalized intersections with volumes below the warrants; Signalized intersections with displays that meet approved standards are no safer than signalized intersections with substandard displays.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1976/601/601-016.pdf
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=CHARACTERISTICS+OF+INTERSECTION+ACCIDENTS+IN+RURAL+MUNICIPALITIES+(ABRIDGMENT)&author=J.+Hanna&author=T.+Flynn&author=W.+Tyler&publication_year=1976
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03611981
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Operational Effects of Geometrics. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Hanna, John T
  • Flynn, Thomas E
  • Tyler, Webb L
• Publication Date: 1976

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 79-82
• Monograph Title: Freeways, automatic vehicle identification, and effects of geometrics
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 601
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crashes; Geometric elements; Intersections; Roads; Rural areas; Sight distance; Signalized intersections; Towns; Traffic control; Traffic crashes
• Old TRIS Terms: Geometrics data; Township road
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00153165
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309025702
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: May 31 1977 12:00AM