Injury Outcomes and Costs for Work Zone Crashes

Author(s):  
John S. Coburn ◽  
Andrea R. Bill ◽  
Madhav V. Chitturi ◽  
David A. Noyce

The main objective of this research was to quantify the injury outcomes and develop reliable and comprehensive injury costs for work zone crashes based on crash type (rear-end, head-on, etc.) and crash severity, based on the KABCO scale (K, killed; A, incapacitating injury; B, nonincapacitating injury; C, possible injury; O, property damage only). A three-step methodology was used to quantify the comprehensive crash costs. All crashes in Wisconsin between 2001 and 2010 that were marked with a construction zone flag were identified and used in this analysis. The Wisconsin Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System database provided comprehensive injury costs based on the injury types and severities suffered by participants in study crashes. KABCO and maximum abbreviated injury score ratings were similar for property damage only and possible injuries. A vast majority of individuals with injuries classified as nonincapacitating and incapacitating actually sustained minor or moderate injuries only. This outcome suggests that the use of KABCO needs to be reconsidered. The calculated comprehensive costs for crash types with sufficient sample sizes were found to be up to 105%, 35%, and 50% larger than the default FHWA values for incapacitating, nonincapacitating, and possible injury crashes, respectively. Injury crash costs by crash type varied significantly. This variance indicates that developing crash-specific costs might result in more accurate benefit–cost analysis for the implementation of countermeasures.

Author(s):  
Karl Kim

In 1992 the University of Hawaii was one of six institutions to receive a Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA. As part of the Hawaii CODES Project, police crash data, emergency medical services (EMS) data, and hospital data were linked using a probabilistic linkage software known as Automatch. An advantage of linked data is the ability to determine injury outcomes for various types of crashes. A simple technique—crash and injury outcome multipliers for examining the relative safety of various types of crashes—is presented. Using the crash as the unit of analysis, a measure is derived that indicates the number of fatalities, incapacitating injuries, nonserious injuries, EMS transports, and hospitalizations produced over a period of time by those particular crash types. In addition to comparing vehicle-to-vehicle crashes, various crash types such as head-on, rollover, sideswipe, broadside, and fixed-object collisions are also examined. The relative crash and injury outcomes for speed-related crashes, alcohol-related collisions, or any number of other types of safety concerns can also be tabulated. The simple technique is illustrated using both conventional police crash data on injuries and a linked file containing EMS and hospital records. In addition to demonstrating the technique, some potential uses are described.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bauer ◽  
Leah Hines ◽  
Emilia Pawlowski ◽  
Jin Luo ◽  
Anne Scott ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In New York State (NYS), motor vehicle (MV) injury to child passengers is a leading cause of hospitalization and emergency department (ED) visits in children aged 0–12 years. NYS laws require appropriate child restraints for ages 0–7 years and safety belts for ages 8 and up while traveling in a private passenger vehicle, but do not specify a seating position. Methods Factors associated with injury in front-seated (n = 11,212) compared to rear-seated (n = 93,092) passengers aged 0–12 years were examined by age groups 0–3, 4–7 and 8–12 years using the 2012–2014 NYS Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES). CODES consists of Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) crash reports linked to ED visits and hospitalizations. The front seat was row 1 and the rear rows 2–3. Vehicle towed from scene and air bag deployed were proxies for crash severity. Injury was dichotomized based on Maximum Abbreviated Injury Severity (MAIS) scores greater than zero. Multivariable logistic regression (odds ratios (OR) with 95% CI) was used to examine factors predictive of injury for the total population and for each age group. Results Front-seated children had more frequent injury than those rear-seated (8.46% vs. 4.92%, p < 0.0001). Children in child restraints experienced fewer medically-treated injuries compared to seat belted or unrestrained children (3.80, 6.50 and 13.62%, p < 0.0001 respectively). A higher proportion of children traveling with an unrestrained vs. restrained driver experienced injury (14.50% vs 5.26%, p < 0.0001). After controlling for crash severity, multivariable adjusted predictors of injury for children aged 0–12 years included riding in the front seat (1.20, 1.10–1.31), being unrestrained vs. child restraint (2.13, 1.73–2.62), being restrained in a seat belt vs. child restraint (1.20, 1.11–1.31), and traveling in a car vs. other vehicle type (1.21, 1.14–1.28). Similarly, protective factors included traveling with a restrained driver (0.61, 0.50–0.75), a driver aged < 25 years (0.91, 0.82–0.99), being an occupant of a later vehicle model year 2005–2008 (0.68, 0.53–0.89) or 2009–2015 (0.55, 0.42–0.71) compared to older model years (1970–1993). Conclusions Compared to front-seated children, rear-seated children and children in age-appropriate restraints had lower adjusted odds of medically-treated injury.


Author(s):  
Karl E. Kim ◽  
Eric Y. Yamashita

As an island state located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where there is limited opportunity for long-distance driving, Hawaii provides an interesting context in which to study fatigue-related crashes. Data from the Hawaii Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System are used to analyze and map fatigue-related collisions. Injury outcomes of fatigue-related crashes are analyzed by using police crash data, emergency medical service records, and insurance claims records. There are distinct temporal and spatial patterns as well as relationships between fatigue-related crashes and driver characteristics. Recommendations for preventing fatigue-related crashes are developed. Roadway segments where fatigue-related crashes occur are identified as possible sites for various engineering treatments. Temporal and demographic information also can be used to design and implement more effective programs and systems for fatigue-related crashes.


Author(s):  
Thanh Q. Le ◽  
Frank Gross ◽  
Tim Harmon

This study evaluates the safety effectiveness of physical right-in-right-out (RIRO) operations compared with full turning movements at stop-controlled intersections. Geometric, traffic, and crash data from California were obtained for urban, three-legged, stop-controlled intersections with full movement and RIRO operations, as well as the downstream four-legged, stop-controlled or signalized intersections with full movement. A cross-sectional analysis provided estimates of the effects of turning movement restrictions while controlling for other differences between sites with RIRO and full movement. The aggregate results indicate reductions in total, all intersection-related, and fatal and injury intersection-related crashes at intersections with RIRO operations compared with full movement, with estimated crash modification factors of 0.55, 0.32, and 0.20, respectively. The reductions are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level for all crash types. Based on the disaggregate results, it does not appear that RIRO operations have different effects for different levels of traffic, design speed, or number of lanes. The analysis also examined the potential for crash migration from intersections where RIRO is implemented to the downstream intersection when determining the net benefits. The results indicate potential crash increases at downstream intersections, but many of the increases are not statistically significant at the 90% confidence level. Although the safety benefit-cost analysis suggests the strategy can be cost effective in reducing crashes at stop-controlled intersections, there is a need to analyze potential costs and benefits on a case-by-case basis with site-specific values.


1967 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 416-420
Author(s):  
Arthur MacEwan

These books are numbers 4 and 5, respectively, in the series "Studies in the Economic Development of India". The two books are interesting complements to one another, both being concerned with the analysis of projects within national plan formulation. However, they treat different sorts of problems and do so on very different levels. Marglin's Public Investment Criteria is a short treatise on the problems of cost-benefit analysis in an Indian type economy, i.e., a mixed economy in which the government accepts a large planning responsibility. The book, which is wholely theoretical, explains the many criteria needed for evaluation of projects. The work is aimed at beginning students and government officials with some training in economics. It is a clear and interesting "introduction to the special branch of economics that concerns itself with systematic analysis of investment alternatives from the point of view of a government".


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