Work Zone Crash Analysis and Modeling to Identify Factors Associated with Crash Severity and Frequency

Work zone safety is an important issue in the broad area of highway safety. Accordingly this study will explore several inter-related issues with the intention of identifying effective ways of reducing number of work zone crashes and severity associated with those crashes. In addition to daytime operations, by undertaking construction work during nighttime work zone durations could be reduced. Fewer crashes may be experienced as a result of shortened work zone durations. The contractor incentives for faster completion of the project may be offset by savings due to reduced number of crashes. However, there are special concerns dealing with work zone safety issues related to nighttime conditions due to reduced visibility. Also, traffic volumes at night are typically lower than those during daylight conditions and lower volumes provide greater maneuverability to drivers allowing higher nighttime operating speeds than during day time. Accordingly, severity of the work zone crashes might be related to the lighting condition of the location, which needs to be verified. Effect of these related factors on safety has not been fully explored and this project is expected to serve that purpose.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $60418.00
• 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:

  Kansas State University

  Department of Civil Engineering
  Manhattan, KS  United States  66506-5000
• Principal Investigators:

  Khattak, Aemal

  Dissanayake, Sunanda

• Start Date: 20130701
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20141231
• Source Data: RiP Project 35129

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crashes; Incentives; Lighting; Night visibility; Traffic volume; Work zone safety
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01503733
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Mid-America Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: DTRT12-G-UTC07
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jan 16 2014 1:00AM