Estimating Benefits from Specific Safety Improvements: Phase II - Safety Benefits of Intersection Approach Realignment

One task of a traffic safety engineer is to identify high accident locations and to design treatments for reducing the number of crashes. This process relies on the availability of accurate information on the crash reduction efficacy of the various treatments. Currently, most agencies rely for their prediction on crash reduction factors that were developed in the 1960's. It is necessary to update and reassess these factors using the new data and new evaluation methods. Currently the authors are conducting a before/after type study and using Empirical Bayes method to estimate crash reduction factors for modern conditions on two-lane rural highways. This paper reports on the results of the second phase of the study, which was aimed at evaluating the safety benefits of intersection approach realignment. Furthermore, Analysis of Variance model is used to identify the extra benefits of the comprehensive treatments. The research shows that the improvements studied appeared to reduce the total number of crashes, but the effect on different type of crashes is different. Also, combining realignment with adding a left-turn lane or traffic signal does not appear to offer significant additional benefits in crash reduction.

• Record URL:
  www.cti.uconn.edu/pdfs/jhr99-268_97-1.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Connecticut, Storrs

  Connecticut Transportation Institute
  179 Middle Turnpike
  Storrs, CT  United States  06269-5202

  Connecticut Department of Transportation

  280 West Street
  Rocky Hill, CT  United States  06067
• Authors:
  • Yuan, Fei
  • Ivan, John
  • Garrick, Norman
  • Davis, Christian
• Publication Date: 2000-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 31p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis of variance; Bayes' theorem; Before and after studies; Benefits; Crash types; Empirical methods; Estimating; Forecasting; High risk locations; Highway safety; Improvements; Left turn lanes; Rural highways; Safety engineering; Traffic crashes; Traffic safety; Traffic signals; Two lane highways
• Uncontrolled Terms: Intersection approaches; Realignment
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01005999
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: JHR 00-281, Project 97-1(2)
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Oct 10 2005 2:03PM