SAFETY MODELS FOR RURAL FREEWAY WORK ZONES

Construction and maintenance work zones have traditionally been hazardous locations within the highway environment. Studies show that the accident rates during road construction are generally higher than during periods of regular traffic operations. The increase in the number of crashes may be attributed to (a) general disruption to the flowing traffic due to sudden discontinuities caused by closed lanes, (b) improper lane merging maneuvers, (c) the presence of heavy construction equipment within the work area, (d) inappropriate use of traffic control devices, and (e) poor traffic management. Research was conducted to develop regression models predicting the expected number of crashes at work zones on rural, two-lane freeway segments. Crashes on approaches to work zones and those inside the work zones were analyzed separately. For developing these models, an extensive database was obtained, including freeway data, crash data, and work zone characteristics. Negative binomial models were developed with average daily traffic, the length of the work zones, and the duration of the work projects as exposure-to-risk variables. The cost of the various work projects was found to be a good substitute for some of the exposure-to-risk variables. The investigated variables included the number of on and off ramps, both on approaches and inside the work zones; the type of work; and the intensity of the road work involved. The models may be used to evaluate beforehand the expected number of crashes on the work zone, given the work zone characteristics.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/1715-01
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=SAFETY+MODELS+FOR+RURAL+FREEWAY+WORK+ZONES&author=S.+Venugopal&author=A.+Tarko&publication_year=2000
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309066948
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1715, Work Zone Safety; Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Venugopal, S
  • Tarko, A
• Publication Date: 2000

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 1-9
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1715
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash causes; Crash rates; Freeways; Mathematical prediction; Off ramps; On ramps; Regression analysis; Rural areas; Traffic crashes; Two lane highways; Work zone safety
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Safety and Human Factors; I60: Maintenance; I81: Accident Statistics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00800129
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309066948
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Oct 6 2000 12:00AM