Regional Disparities in Work Zone Crashes: Understanding Factors and Predictive Modeling for Targeted Safety Measures
Roadway work zones play a vital role in maintaining and improving infrastructure, yet they often expose workers and drivers to dangerous situations, leading to concerning frequencies of occupational and traffic accidents in the United States. With over 700 fatalities and thousands of injuries annually attributed to work zone crashes, efforts to enhance safety have been hindered by the complexity and variability of contributing factors. The escalating fatalities, coupled with growing infrastructure demands in U.S. Department of Transportation Region 7—encompassing Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas—underscore the imperative to address underlying causes and improve work zone safety. This study aims to address this persistent issue by analyzing work zone crash data in Region 7 and comparing it with other regions to identify influential factors. By leveraging recurrent neural networks (RNNs) to develop region-specific predictive models, the research seeks to forecast crash occurrences and provide targeted insights for policymakers and transportation authorities. Ultimately, the research aims to deepen understanding of regional disparities in work zone crash dynamics, enabling effective resource prioritization and implementation of tailored safety measures. The development of predictive models using RNNs holds promise for enhancing proactive safety planning and resource allocation, ultimately contributing to a nationwide reduction in work zone crashes and advancing the overarching goal of improving road safety for workers and motorists.
- Record URL:
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Active
- Funding: $160,008.50
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Contract Numbers:
69A3552348307
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Sponsor Organizations:
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
University Transportation Centers Program
Department of Transportation
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Managing Organizations:
Mid-America Transportation Center
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
2200 Vine Street, PO Box 830851
Lincoln, NE United States 68583-0851 -
Project Managers:
Stearns, Amy
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Performing Organizations:
Missouri University of Science & Technology, Rolla
Department of Engineering
202 University Center
Rolla, MO 65409 -
Principal Investigators:
El-adaway, Islam
- Start Date: 20240601
- Expected Completion Date: 20260630
- Actual Completion Date: 0
- USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Crash data; Neural networks; Predictive models; Traffic safety; Work zone safety
- Geographic Terms: Midwest United States
- Subject Areas: Construction; Data and Information Technology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01971752
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Mid-America Transportation Center
- Contract Numbers: 69A3552348307
- Files: UTC, RIP
- Created Date: Nov 19 2025 3:35PM