DEVELOPMENT OF PROCEDURES FOR IDENTIFYING HIGH-CRASH LOCATIONS AND PRIORITIZING SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS

The objectives of this study were to review and analyze the current procedures for identifying high-crash locations and evaluating and prioritizing roadway safety improvements at high-crash locations, and to recommend improved methods. Several tasks were undertaken to accomplish these objectives, including the following: review of program guidelines and procedures used by other states to prioritize improvements at high-crash locations; review and documentation of Kentucky's current procedure; update of Kentucky's Crash Buildup Program software to be compatible with the 2000 crash report form; development of new software to assist in estimating the benefits and costs of potential projects for inclusion in the Hazard Elimination Program; and conversion of the dynamic programming software from mainframe to PC. Results from the study include improved methods for identifying high-frequency crash locations and prioritizing those locations after preliminary analyses indicated a need to consider improvements at a crash site. Software was developed to assist in producing a generalized estimate of the benefits of potential projects for inclusion in the Hazard Elimination Program. To use the software, the user must input the improvements to be made, the current level of crashes for the highway segment, and estimated project costs. Adjustments can also be made for key factors such as discount rate and projected traffic growth. Features include a menu of types of improvement projects and related reduction factors, and benefit-cost comparisons for each project. Revisions were recommended for updating and enhancing the Crash Buildup Program to achieve compatibility with the current crash data report form and for translating the dynamic programming module from a mainframe operation to a PC-based system. It appears that an increased level of functionality has been achieved as a result of the series of modifications and improvements.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.13023/KTC.RR.2003.15
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/15869
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Kentucky, Lexington

  Kentucky Transportation Center
  College of Engineering, 176 Raymond Building
  Lexington, KY  United States  40506-0281

  Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

  200 Mero Street
  Frankfort, KY  United States  40622

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Agent, K R
  • O'Connell, L
  • Green, E R
  • Kreis, D
  • Pigman, J G
  • Tollner, N
  • Thompson, E
• Publication Date: 2003-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 46 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Dynamic programming; Guidelines; High risk locations; Improvements; Procedures; Software; Strategic planning
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I80: Accident Studies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00960051
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: KTC-03-15/SPR250-02-1F,, Final Report
• Contract Numbers: KYSPR-250-02
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 9 2003 12:00AM