Evaluating the Safety Risk of Active Night Work Zones

In this report, researchers present an assessment framework for evaluating the expected crash consequences of performing a particular work activity on a given highway at night versus doing that same activity during the day. Researchers predicate the framework on the availability of normal crash rates (crashes per 100 million-vehicle-miles), differentiated by daytime and nighttime conditions, on the particular roadway segment of interest. These normal rates are then adjusted on a percentage basis to account for the incremental increase in crashes expected under both the daytime and nighttime work conditions. An analyst would multiply the adjusted crash rates, representing the additional crash risk due to work activities, by traffic volumes expected to encounter the work zone in either the daytime or the nighttime period and the length of the work zone to determine the number of additional crashes that would be expected to occur due to the work zone in either period. Also included in this report is a review of several potential countermeasures identified by the research team to reduce crashes resulting from active night work zone. Researchers provide a critique of each one with regard to potential adoption consideration by the Texas Department of Transportation. Overall, researchers could not justify widespread or blanket adoption of any of the countermeasures.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Project Title: Assessing the Impacts of Active Nighttime Work Zones upon Motorist and Worker Safety.
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 3135 TAMU
  College Station, TX  United States  77843-3135

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Research and Technology Implementation Office, P.O. Box 5080
  Austin, TX  United States  78763-5080

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Ullman, Gerald L
  • Ullman, Brooke R
  • Finley, Melisa D
• Publication Date: 2005-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 60p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Countermeasures; Crash rates; Night; Risk assessment; Work zone safety; Work zones
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Safety and Human Factors; I60: Maintenance; I80: Accident Studies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01003779
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-05/0-4747-2, Technical Report 0-4747-2
• Contract Numbers: Project 0-4747
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Sep 14 2005 9:46AM