Assessment of Crash Reduction Traffic Control Measures at T-intersections on Rural Highways

T-intersections on rural highways in Nebraska represent a critical safety challenge due to their high crash frequencies and severity. These intersections are particularly challenging as they combine the risks associated with high-speed travel and the need for precise driver actions. When drivers approach T-intersections, they need to come to a complete stop before making a turning movement. This creates decision-making challenges given varying traffic control measures which could be exacerbated by weather conditions. According to the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT), roadway departure crashes, including those occurring at T-intersections, remain a critical emphasis area for enhancing traffic safety on rural highways. Between 2016 and 2020, NDOT recorded 3,133 lane and roadway departure crashes with fatalities or serious injuries comprising approximately 44% of all such incidents statewide. Of these, 70% occurred in rural areas, with 82% involving single-vehicle run-off-road events. As a result, T-intersections rank as the third-highest locations (following non-intersections and four-legged intersections) for both the total number of crashes and the severity of those crashes in Nebraska. Furthermore, reported crashes may not capture the full extent of the problem. NDOT receives numerous complaints from local landowners regarding hit-and-run crashes at the T-intersections where vehicles exit the roadway and damage property on the opposite side of the intersection. These crashes are often not filed in official crash reports.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Programmed
• Funding: $175,616.00
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Nebraska Department of Transportation

  1500 Nebraska 2
  Lincoln, NE  United States  68502
• Project Managers:

  Halsey, Lieska

• Principal Investigators:

  Zhao, Li

  Huynh, Nathan

• Start Date: 20250701
• Expected Completion Date: 20270531
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash risk forecasting; Driving behavior; Ran off road crashes; Rural highways; T intersections; Traffic safety; Weather conditions
• Geographic Terms: Nebraska
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01945353
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Nebraska Department of Transportation
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 10 2025 11:29AM