Severity of single vehicle crashes during holidays

This research examined the effects of different contributing factors on the severity of single vehicle crashes occurring during holidays in the years 1999-2008 in Alberta, Canada. Urban and rural crashes were analyzed separately to isolate the location effects. Partially constrained generalized ordered logit models were estimated for each of the specified location types with three possible severity outcomes: property damage only, minor injury and serious injury. The authors' results indicated that time trend and stop/yield signs manifested contrasting effects on urban and rural location crash severity. No restraint use, driver violations and errors, irreparable vehicular damage, involvement of motorcycles, off-road crashes, driver's inebriation and presence of holes/bumps/ruts are some of the important variables that influenced rural crash severity. On the other hand, no restraint use, irreparable vehicular damage, involvement of motorcycles and elderly drivers, drivers being drunk or fatigued, and off-road crashes are some of the important variables that influenced urban crash severity