Identifying and comparing the injury severity risk factors on rural freeways in different states in the United States

Abstract

This study identifies and compares those risk factors affecting crash injuries and fatalities on rural freeways in Montana and West Virginia in the United States using the mixed logit model. Three-year crashes on rural freeway segments in both states are used. Higher annual average daily traffic (AADT) was associated with a reduction in injuries/fatalities in both states, with higher reduction in West Virginia (40%) than in Montana (25%). In both states, the impact of adverse road surface conditions (i.e., snowy/icy) was associated with a reduction in injuries/fatalities. The results show that separate injury severity models for individual states are suggested instead of lumping all crashes in one model. Enforcement of trucks' risky maneuvers (e.g., illegal traveling in the leftmost lane) and more education for older drivers are suggested in West Virginia. In Montana, it is recommended to monitor rural freeway segments with high sport utility vehicle (SUV) crash history.

Keywords:

• Crash injury severity risk factors
• rural freeways
• mixed logit model
• injury and fatality reduction

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) and the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) for their effort in providing the crash data used in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.