Exploring Impacts of Factors Contributing to Injury Severity at Freeway Exit Ramps

Zhenyu Wang, Jian J. Lu, Zhao Zhang

Research output: Contribution to conferencePresentation

Abstract

Several factors of freeway mainlines, exit ramp sections, and cross-roads, such as geometric design, environment, vehicle/driver characteristics, and traffic features, may have significantly impacts on crash injury severity at freeway exit ramps. Freeway exit ramps are defined as the sections from the painted nose to the ramp terminal, and provide limit accesses from freeway mainlines to cross-roads. To explore the impacts and address the significant factors, injury severity prediction models was developed in this paper using three regression technologies: Ordered Probit, Partial Proportional Odds, and Heterogeneous Probit. The analysis results showed that ramp configuration (Diamond, Free-flow Loop, Outer Connection, and Parclo Loop) has significant impacts on crash injury severity at exit ramp sections. Diamond ramp is safer than other configurations while Outer Connection seems to increase crash injury severity than other ones. Other significant factors include lane configuration, channelization at ramp terminals, distance between ramp terminal and the first intersection on crossroads, speed limit on ramps and mainlines, shoulder width on ramps, and alcohol/drug involvement.

Original languageAmerican English
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2011
EventTDI Congress 2011 : Integrated Transportation and Development for a Better Tomorrow -
Duration: Jan 1 2011 → …

Conference

ConferenceTDI Congress 2011 : Integrated Transportation and Development for a Better Tomorrow
Period1/1/11 → …

Keywords

  • injuries
  • ramps
  • traffic management

Disciplines

  • Engineering
  • Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration
  • Transportation
  • Transportation Engineering

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