Precipitation Effects on Motor Vehicle Crashes Vary by Space, Time, and Environmental Conditions

Abstract Numerous studies have shown that precipitation has a significant impact on motor vehicle crashes. Hourly weather radar data with a 4-km resolution and over 600 000 crashes from 2002 to 2012 in Iowa are used to assess the effects of precipitation on motor vehicle crashes. Using a matched pairs analysis, this study finds that the relative accident risk (RAR) across the state during the study period was 1.69 [1.66, 1.71]. However, RAR increased to as high as 3.7 [3.6, 4.0] and as low as 1.1 [1.0, 1.2] for frozen and liquid precipitation types, respectively. RAR also varied significantly by hour of the day, with RAR near 2 in the late afternoon and 1.3 during the early morning hours, suggesting an interaction effect between precipitation and traffic volume and/or density on crash risk. The study also shows that interstates and major highways tend to have higher RAR than smaller roads, and it was able to identify locations that are particularly sensitive to precipitation with regard to crashes. This study can be used to inform future studies on the effects of weather and climate change on crashes.

Download Full-text

Role of Poverty in California Teenagers’ Fatal Traffic Crash Risk

Californian Journal of Health Promotion ◽

10.32398/cjhp.v7i1.1316 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Mike Males

Keyword(s):

Traffic Safety ◽

Low Income ◽

Motor Vehicle ◽

Strong Association ◽

Motor Vehicle Crash ◽

Motor Vehicle Crashes ◽

Crash Risk ◽

Vehicle Crashes ◽

Fatal Crash ◽

Adolescent Risk

Teenagers’ high rates of motor vehicle crashes, accounting for 40% of external deaths among 16-19 yearolds, have been ascribed largely to inherent “adolescent risk-taking” and developmental hazards. However, the fact that compared to adults 25 and older, teenagers are twice as likely to live in poverty and low-income areas, risk factors for many types of violent death, has not been assessed. This paper uses Fatality Analysis Reporting System data on 65,173 fatal motor vehicle crashes by drivers in California’s 35 most populous counties for 1994-2007 to analyze fatal crash involvements per 100 million miles driven by driver age, county, poverty status, and 15 other traffic safety-related variables. Fatal crash rates were substantially higher for every driver age group in poorer counties than in richer ones. Multivariate regression found socioeconomic factors, led by the low levels of licensing and high unemployment rates prevalent in low-income areas, were associated with nearly 60% of the variance in motor vehicle crash risks, compared to 3% associated with driver age. The strong association between fatal crash risk and poverty, especially for young drivers who are concentrated in high-poverty brackets and low-income areas, suggests that factors related to poorer environments constitute a major traffic safety risk requiring serious attention.

Download Full-text

Precipitation and Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes: Continental Analysis with High-Resolution Radar Data

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society ◽

10.1175/bams-d-18-0001.1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 100 (8) ◽

pp. 1453-1461 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Scott E. Stevens ◽

Carl J. Schreck ◽

Shubhayu Saha ◽

Jesse E. Bell ◽

Kenneth E. Kunkel

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

High Resolution ◽

Motor Vehicle ◽

Radar Data ◽

The United States ◽

Motor Vehicle Crashes ◽

Vehicle Crashes ◽

Fatal Crash ◽

Fatal Crashes ◽

High Resolution Radar

AbstractMotor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of accidental death in the United States, and weather is frequently cited as a contributing factor in fatal crashes. Previous studies have investigated the link between these crashes and precipitation typically using station-based observations that, while providing a good estimate of the prevailing conditions on a given day or hour, often fail to capture the conditions present at the actual time and location of a crash. Using a multiyear, high-resolution radar reanalysis and information on 125,012 fatal crashes spanning the entire continental United States over a 6-yr period, we find that the overall risk of a fatal crash increases by approximately 34% during active precipitation. The risk is significant in all regions of the continental United States, and it is highest during the morning rush hour and during the winter months.

Download Full-text