scholarly journals Investigation of the Relationship between Rainfall and Fatal Crashes in Texas, 1994–2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 7976
Author(s):  
Zhongyu Han ◽  
Hatim O. Sharif
Keyword(s):  
Relative Risk ◽  
Time Scales ◽  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Speed Limit ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
National Highway Traffic Safety ◽  
Fatal Crash ◽  
Fatal Crashes ◽  
The Impact

Understanding how crash factors are impacted by rain is critical to road safety planning and management. This study assesses the impact of rain on traffic safety by conducting an analysis of the fatal crashes related to rain in Texas from 1994 to 2018. The fatal crash data was gathered from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Environmental variables used in the analysis include month of the year, time of the day, temperature, and weather condition. The roadway-related factors identified include the posted speed limit, the number of lanes, route sign, and Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). The driver-related factors identified include age, gender, and the number of licensed drivers in total. Relative risk analysis was performed to statistically quantify the impact of rainy conditions at the hourly and monthly time scales. On average, rain-related fatal crashes represented about 6.8% of the total fatal crashes. However, the proportion shows higher variability at the annual, monthly, and hourly time scales and seems to be influenced by other factors such as the age and gender of the driver, type of the road, and posted roadway speed limit. Total and rain-related crashes show statistically significant decreasing trends when normalized by the total number of licensed drivers or vehicle miles travelled. The relative risk of a fatal crash during rainy conditions was always greater than 1.0 at hourly, monthly, and annual time scales. However, it shows significant variability at the monthly (1.07 to 2.78) and hourly scales (1.35 to 2.57). The relative risk is higher in less urbanized and drier counties, in general. Gender and age analysis reveals that male and young drivers are more likely to be involved in a fatal crash but less likely to be killed in the crash.

scholarly journals Impact of CARB’s Tailpipe Emission Standard Policy on CO2 Reduction among the U.S. States

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaewon Lim ◽  
DooHwan Won
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Co2 Reduction ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
Emission Standard ◽  
National Highway Traffic Safety ◽  
Policy Effect ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set the nationwide emission standard policy, but each state in the U.S. has an option to follow the higher emission standard policy set by CARB (California Air Resources Board) in 2004. There are 14 “CARB states” that follow California’s more restrictive standards. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of CARB’s tailpipe emission standard policy. Using the panel dataset for 49 U.S. states over a 28-year study period (1987–2015), this paper found the long-term policy effect in reducing CO2 emission from CARB’s tailpipe standard, and its long-run effect is 5.4 times higher than the short-run effect. The equivalent policy effect of the CARB emission standard in CO2 reduction can be achieved by raising gasoline price by 145.43%. Also, if 26.0% of petroleum consumed for transportation is substituted by alternative clean fuels (natural gas or electricity), it will have a comparable policy effect in CO2 reduction. Findings in this study support to continue the collaborative efforts among the EPA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and California in order to achieve the CO2 reduction goal set by CARB and adopted by the EPA in 2012. The packaged policy approach rooted in persistent public and political support is necessary for successful policy implementation.

Characteristics of Recent Vehicle-Related Fatalities during Active Precipitation in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 935-952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana M. Tobin ◽  
Matthew R. Kumjian ◽  
Alan W. Black
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
Freezing Rain ◽  
National Highway Traffic Safety ◽  
Diurnal Variability ◽  
Fatal Crashes ◽  
Precipitation Type ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database were used to identify vehicle-related fatalities that occurred during active precipitation from 2013 to 2017. Changes to FARS for 2013–present allow the identification of freezing rain, in addition to rain, snow, sleet, and precipitation mixtures as prevailing precrash atmospheric conditions. The characteristics of vehicle-related fatalities for each precipitation type identified in FARS were assessed in terms of total numbers, roadway surface conditions, location, and annual and diurnal variability. Vehicle-related fatalities were also matched to nearby Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) and Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) precipitation-type reports to determine their agreement with precipitation types documented in FARS. Of the vehicle-related fatalities examined, 8.6% occurred during precipitation, with these fatalities further divided by precipitation type of approximately 81% rain, 14% snow, and 5% sleet, freezing rain, and mixtures of precipitation. Unexpected discrepancies between the numbers of sleet- versus freezing-rain-related fatalities reveal that caution should be taken when using FARS to identify these precipitation types. ASOS/AWOS precipitation-type reports have moderate agreement with FARS at 20 mi (32.2 km), and are capable of distinguishing precipitation and nonprecipitation indicated in FARS. Rain and snow have good agreement between the databases, whereas sleet, freezing rain, and precipitation mixtures have significantly reduced agreement due to a combination of ASOS/AWOS limitations and suspected FARS limitations. To provide a more accurate account of precipitation types for fatal crashes, the use of crashes where FARS-identified precipitation types are confirmed by nearby ASOS/AWOS reports is suggested.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Potential Benefits of Advanced Automatic Crash Notification

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca E. Plevin ◽  
Robert Kaufman ◽  
Laura Fraade-Blanar ◽  
Eileen M. Bulger
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Trauma Center ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Time Segment ◽  
National Highway Traffic Safety ◽  
Fatal Crashes ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Prehospital Time

AbstractObjectiveAdvanced Automatic Collision Notification (AACN) services in passenger vehicles capture crash data during collisions that could be transferred to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. This study explored how EMS response times and other crash factors impacted the odds of fatality. The goal was to determine if information transmitted by AACN could help decrease mortality by allowing EMS providers to be better prepared upon arrival at the scene of a collision.MethodsThe Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) database of the US Department of Transportation/National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (USDOT/NHTSA; Washington DC, USA) was searched for all fatal crashes between 1996 and 2012. The CIREN database also was searched for illustrative cases. The NHTSA’s Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System (NASS CDS) databases were queried for all fatal crashes between 2000 and 2011 that involved a passenger vehicle. Detailed EMS time data were divided into prehospital time segments and analyzed descriptively as well as via multiple logistic regression models.ResultsThe CIREN data showed that longer times from the collision to notification of EMS providers were associated with more frequent invasive interventions within the first three hours of hospital admission and more transfers from a regional hospital to a trauma center. The NASS CDS and FARS data showed that rural collisions with crash-notification times >30 minutes were more likely to be fatal than collisions with similar crash-notification times occurring in urban environments. The majority of a patient’s prehospital time occurred between the arrival of EMS providers on-scene and arrival at a hospital. The need for extrication increased the on-scene time segment as well as total prehospital time.ConclusionAn AACN may help decrease mortality following a motor vehicle collision (MVC) by alerting EMS providers earlier and helping them discern when specialized equipment will be necessary in order to quickly extricate patients from the collision site and facilitate expeditious transfer to an appropriate hospital or trauma center.PlevinRE, KaufmanR, Fraade-BlanarL, BulgerEM. Evaluating the potential benefits of advanced automatic crash notification. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(2):156–164.

Consumer safety complaints and organizational learning: evidence from the automotive industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 2094-2118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sourish Sarkar ◽  
Balaji Rajagopalan
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Value Of Information ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
Radical Product ◽  
Data Set ◽  
National Highway Traffic Safety ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Safety ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the value of information in consumer safety complaints for organizational learning. Design/methodology/approach Empirical analysis of this study uses a novel secondary data set, which is formed by combining complaints data filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for potential safety defects, and design change information from 2003 to 2011 model-year vehicles in the USA. Findings First, the paper demonstrates the value of information embedded in complaints. Second, in the case of radical product redesigns, owing to the lack of direct applicability of consumer feedback based learning, the impact of learning on product safety is found to be muted, third, the results suggest that the safety complaint rates vary by vehicle classes/categories and, fourth, the findings differ from prior research conclusions on vehicle quality. Prior research finds the debuting car models have the lowest repair rates among all car models produced in a given year, but the current study finds the debuting models to have the highest rates of safety complaints. Originality/value Quality management literature rarely examines the safety complaints data (which, unlike other consumer feedbacks, focuses exclusively on the safety hazards due to flaws that result in accidents). This paper fills the gap in literature by linking safety complaints with future product quality and organizational learning.

Fire truck crashes with apparatus driver fatalities: Fatality Analysis Report System (FARS): 1991-2000

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
Steven L. Proudfoot ◽  
Edward Lee Husting, PhD, MPH
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Reporting System ◽  
Seat Belts ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
Fair Weather ◽  
Driver Training ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
National Highway Traffic Safety ◽  
Rural Roads ◽  
Report System

This analysis reports crashes in which firefighters were killed on fire apparatus. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) from 1991 through 2000 included 33 incidents with 38 firefighter fatalities, including 23 apparatus drivers. Crashes increased steadily from two in 1991 to six in 2000. The average age of the victims was 37.7 years and the average of the drivers was 38.3. Alcohol was a possible factor in two incidents. The most commonly cited driver-related factors are “failure to keep in proper lane or running off road” and “driving too fast for conditions or in excess of posted speed limit.” Of 33 total incidents, 25 involved rollover. In 19 crashes involving rollover in which the apparatus drivers were killed, 12 drivers were either totally or partially ejected from the vehicle. Eleven were not wearing restraints. Twelve of the drivers were killed while using lights and sirens. Most fatalities took place on dry roads, in fair weather, during daylight hours. Twenty-one of 23 incidents occurred on rural roads. In 11 of the incidents, the driver was the sole vehicle occupant. Drivers should wear seat belts and adjust for vehicle limitations and hazardous conditions. Semiannual refresher driver training is recommended.

scholarly journals Escape Worthiness of Vehicles with Passive Belt Restraint Systems

1994 ◽  
Vol 38 (14) ◽  
pp. 893-897
Author(s):  
Edmundo Rodarte ◽  
Jerry L. Purswell ◽  
Robert Schlegel ◽  
Richard F. Krenek
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Restraint System ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
Escape Route ◽  
National Highway Traffic Safety ◽  
Passive Restraint ◽  
The Times ◽  
Time Required ◽  
The Impact

There are a variety of conditions that can exist in the post-crash environment which make rapid escape necessary for survival or to avoid further injury. These include a post-crash fire, the vehicle going into the water, or avoiding being struck in a secondary collision. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has defined this parameter vehicle escapeworthiness. It has been estimated in past research performed by the author for NHTSA that escapeworthiness becomes important in up to 7% of all vehicle crashes. Since escapeworthiness research was performed in the early 1970's, the advent of passive shoulder belt systems has made it necessary to again review the impact of this development on escapeworthiness. In particular, the inability of the occupants to release the passive restraint because the door cannot be opened after the crash, coupled with the inability to release the passive restraint due to its design or a lack of experience, or knowledge of how to release the passive restraint while the door is closed, creates a serious problem. Thus, the present study was performed to investigate the impact of passive restraint systems on the time required to escape from the vehicle under various conditions of available escape routes, and physical condition of the occupants. The experimental design included the variables of age, gender, escape route, level of incapacitation and type of passive restraint system. The times to effect an escape as well as the method of escaping were determined through videographic analysis of all escape trials. The findings demonstrated that the use of passive restraint systems increased the time to escape significantly, ranging from 37 to 65 percent for the respective conditions. This difference may determine whether a person survives or not after some post-crash conditions. The results have significance for the design of passive restraint systems for easy release, while at the same time not creating an incentive for some users to routinely leave the passive restraint unfastened.

scholarly journals Driving Blind: Weather-Related Vision Hazards and Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes

2015 ◽  
Vol 96 (5) ◽  
pp. 755-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walker S. Ashley ◽  
Stephen Strader ◽  
Douglas C. Dziubla ◽  
Alex Haberlie
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
The United States ◽  
Motor Vehicle Crash ◽  
Annual Number ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
National Highway Traffic Safety ◽  
Fatal Crashes ◽  
Vehicular Crashes ◽  
National Analysis

Abstract Visibility-related weather hazards have significant impacts on motor vehicle operators because of decreased driver vision, reduced roadway speed, amplified speed variability, and elevated crash risk. This research presents a national analysis of fog-, smoke-, and dust storm–associated vehicular fatalities in the United States. Initially, a database of weather-related motor vehicle crash fatalities from 1994 to 2011 is constructed from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. Thereafter, spatiotemporal analyses of visibility-related (crashes where a vision hazard was reported at time of event) and vision-obscured (driver’s vision was recorded as obscured by weather, and a weather-related vision hazard was reported) fatal vehicular crashes are presented. Results reveal that the annual number of fatalities associated with weather-related, vision-obscured vehicular crashes is comparable to those of more notable and captivating hazards such as tornadoes, floods, tropical cyclones, and lightning. The majority of these vision-obscured crash fatalities occurred in fog, on state and U.S. numbered highways, during the cool season and during the morning commuting hours of 0500 to 0800 local time. Areas that experience the greatest frequencies of vision-obscured fatal crashes are located in the Central Valley of California, Appalachian Mountain and mid-Atlantic region, the Midwest, and along the Gulf Coast. From 2007 to 2011, 72% of all vision-obscured fatal crashes occurred when there was no National Weather Service weather-related visibility advisory in effect. The deadliest weather-related visibility hazard crashes during the period are exhibited, revealing a spectrum of environmental and geographical settings that can trigger these high-end events.

scholarly journals IMPACT FORCE OF FLOOD-BORNE VEHICLES

2018 ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Hideki Kaida ◽  
Naoto Kihara ◽  
Daisuke Takabatake
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Structural Damage ◽  
Impact Force ◽  
Axial Stiffness ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
National Highway Traffic Safety ◽  
Vehicle Impact ◽  
Shipping Containers ◽  
Hurricane Storm Surge ◽  
The Impact

Tsunami, hurricane storm surge, and waves generate debris such as shipping containers, wood logs, and vehicles. Impact forces exerted on structures in the inundation zone by such debris might result in severe structural damage of structures. Thus, reliable prediction of debris impact force is essential for the safe design and risk assessment of structures in the inundation zone. In this study, we carried out full-scale air-borne and flood-borne vehicle impact experiments. The experimental results enable characterization of the vehicle impact and prove the applicability of a theoretical equation (Haehnel and Daly, (2004)) in which the impact force of debris is estimated by using the impact velocity, axial stiffness, and mass of the debris. In addition, by analyzing NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)’s experimental data, a list of axial stiffness for various types of vehicles was constructed, which is important in predicting the flood-borne vehicle impact force.

Multiple Correspondence Analysis of Wrong-Way Driving Fatal Crashes on Freeways

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110152
Author(s):  
Yukun Song ◽  
Huaguo Zhou ◽  
Qing Chang ◽  
Mohammad Jalayer
Keyword(s):  
Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Multiple Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Standard Procedure ◽  
Driving Under The Influence ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
National Highway Traffic Safety ◽  
Fatal Crashes

The objective of this study is to identify clusters of contributing factors associated with the occurrence of wrong-way driving (WWD) fatal crashes on freeways using the multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) method based on the Burt matrix with an adjustment of inertias. A total of 14 years (2004–2017) of WWD fatal crash data were extracted from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database. A standard procedure was developed to extract the WWD crash information (including a total of 3,817 crashes) on freeways from the FARS. Each crash contains various characteristics of crashes, vehicles, and drivers, for example, crash time, crash location, vehicle type, driver age, and so forth. The MCA analysis used a total of 19 key variables with 67 defined categories. The results of this study indicate that four clusters of factors which, when combined, might contribute to the occurrence of some WWD fatal crashes. These four clusters were: (1) younger drivers, driving under the influence (DUI), midnight/early morning, lower speed limit (45–50 mph), urban areas, and street lighting; (2) older drivers, non-DUI drivers, and daylight; (3) dark/no light, 18:00 to 23:59 p.m., higher speed limits (65 mph or more), and rural areas; and (4) rain/snow/sleet/hail/fog, and wet road surface.

scholarly journals Traffic Crash Victimizations of California Children and Teenagers by Drinking Over-21 Drivers

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Males
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Reporting System ◽  
The Other ◽  
Drinking And Driving ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
National Highway Traffic Safety ◽  
Traffic Crash ◽  
Fatal Crashes ◽  
Teenage Drivers

Underaged drinking‖ by Californians younger than 21 generates perpetual concern, but the toll ―overaged drinkers‖ 21 and older inflict on children and teenagers has not been quantified. This study extracts Fatality Analysis Reporting System crash cases involving California drivers testing positive for alcohol use along with those of the other drivers, passengers, and nonoccupants in the same crashes for 1998-2007 and arranges them in cross tabulations showing the ages of drinking drivers in fatal crashes by ages, injury severity, and types of victims. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates are used to project all alcohol-related traffic victimizations. Californians age 21 and older who drank and drove caused approximately 235,000 crashes from 1998-2007 victimizing persons under age 20, killing more than 400 children under age 16 and 400 teens age 16-19 and injuring nearly 80,000 children and teens. Drinking over-21 drivers caused most alcohol-related victimizations of teenage vehicle passengers and nonoccupants and victimized more sober teenage drivers than drinking teen drivers victimized sober over-21 drivers. If tabulated as a separate mortality cause, ―overaged drinking and driving‖ would be the fifth leading cause of death to California teens age 16-19 and the sixth leading cause for children ages 1- 15. The findings suggest ―overaged drinking‖ represents as severe a hazard to teenagers as ―underaged drinking.‖

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