Crash Risk Reduction at Signalized Intersections Using Longitudinal Data

University Transportation Centers Program2005PDFTech ReportBurkey, Mark L.Obeng, KofiNorth Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. The Transportation Institute. Urban Transit InstituteUnited States. Department of Transportation. Research and Special Programs AdministrationUnited States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) ProgramNorth Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Urban Transit InstituteUnited StatesAir bagsCrash characteristicsCrash dataCrash locationsCrash severityCrash typesDemographicsImpaired driversInjuriesLand useMultiple vehicle crashesSeat beltsSignalized intersectionsTechnologyVehicle characteristicsDTRS93-G-0018This research was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers program.This study extends the previous work of Burkey and Obeng (2004) that examined the impact of red light cameras on the type and severity of crashes at signalized intersections in Greensboro, North Carolina. The extension takes the following form. First, the authors extend the data to cover 57 months, and to include demographics, technology variables, the condition of the driver at the time of the crash, vehicle characteristics, land use and visual obstruction. Second, instead of examining the impact of red light cameras, the authors focus on identifying the determinants of crash severity, two-vehicle crashes and property damage costs. The major findings are that the safety impacts of seatbelt use outweigh the impacts of airbags deploying because the latter tends to increase evident injuries and property damage costs, while the former reduces these injuries. The authors also find that head-on collisions and under rides increase evident injuries. For two-vehicle crashes, the authors find that the risk of severe injuries increases in pickup-pickup crashes and SUV-pickup crashes, while the risk of possible injuries increases in car-truck crashes. The authors found the condition of the driver at the time of the crash (i.e., illness, impairment, medical condition, driver falling asleep, driver apparently normal) to be an important determinant in increased property damage costs. The types of accident that were found to increase property damage costs are running into a fixed object and under rides. Finally, the authors found that property damage costs of crashes are low where the land uses are commercial and institutional, suggesting that the accidents that occur in these areas are minor.140