Road Weather Management Program
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Best Practices for Road Weather Management Version 2.0

Title:

Analysis of Factors Affecting the Severity of Head-On Crashes on Two-Lane Rural Highways in Connecticut

Abstract:

This study focuses on analyzing the correlation between head-on crash severity and potential causal factors, such as the geometric characteristics of the road segment, weather conditions, road surface conditions, and time of occurrence. Ordered Probit models were estimated for datasets describing two-lane roads in Connecticut between year 1996 to 2001. It was found that a wet roadway surface and narrow road segments are significantly correlated with more severe head-on crashes. Also, the vehicle mechanical performance is important, as suggested by the higher probability of severe head-on crashes on wet surfaces. The analysis results may be used by practitioners to understand the trade-off between geometric design decisions and head-on crash severity. Furthermore, identifying correlated factors will help to better explain the crash phenomenon and in turn can institute safer roadway design standards.

Source(s):

85th Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting, University of Connecticut and University of Maine. For an electronic copy of this resource, please direct your request to WeatherFeedback@dot.gov.

Date: 2006

Author:

Deng, Ivan, Garder

Keywords:


Safety
Pavement condition
Adverse weather

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