Evaluation of Low-Cost Intersection Countermeasures to Reduce Red Light Running Violations

Red light running (RLR) crashes are a serious safety concern at signalized intersections. In 2009 it was reported that 676 fatalities (FHWA, 2011) and 130,000 injuries were due to red light running crashes in the United States (IIHS, 2011). The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reported that in 2007 over half of the red lights running fatalities were passengers of the violating vehicle, both passengers and the driver of the vehicle that was collided into, or pedestrians within the intersection (IIHS, 2007). Many communities have installed automated enforcement as a way to enforce red light violations at high-crash intersections. In 2011, it was estimated that over 538 communities had installed automated enforcement (IIHS, 2011). However, automated enforcement may not be practical for an intersection or cannot be implemented due to state legislation. Many communities have implemented low-cost countermeasures at intersections (e.g. confirmation lights, reflective back plates, advance beacons, or enhanced signage) to alert the driver or aid law enforcement officials in capturing violators. Limited research currently exists on evaluating low-cost red light running countermeasures beyond naïve before and after crash analysis in response to community pressure. To fully evaluate a countermeasure, typically 3 to 6 years of before and after crash data are required, and this may not always be feasible. For this analysis, a before and after reduction or increase in red light running violations will be used as a surrogate measure to crash data to evaluate red light running countermeasures and the spillover effect at select intersections in Kansas. The results of this research study is expected to have an immediate impact in the State of Kansas with legislation preventing automated enforcement to be installed and communities seeking low-cost ways to reduce red light running at signalized intersections.

• Record URL:
  http://matc.unl.edu/research/research_projects.php?researchID=425
• Supplemental Notes:
  • The funding amount is shared between Kansas State University ($60,917) and University of Kansas, Lawrence ($63,384).

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $63384.00
• Contract Numbers:

  DTRT12-G-UTC07

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  University Transportation Centers Program
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Kansas, Lawrence

  Transportation Research Institute
  2117 Learned Hall, 1530 W 15th Street
  Lawrence, KS  United States  66045

  Kansas State University

  Manhattan, KS  United States  66506
• Principal Investigators:

  Sharma, Anuj

  Fitzsimmons, Eric

  Mulinazzi, Thomas

  Schrock, Steven

• Start Date: 20120601
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20131231
• Source Data: RiP Project 33535

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Countermeasures; Crash data; Crash injuries; Fatalities; High risk locations; Highway safety; Red light running; Traffic crashes; Traffic law enforcement
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01483127
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Mid-America Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: DTRT12-G-UTC07
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jun 5 2013 1:01AM