Development of Crash Modification Factors for Uncontrolled Pedestrian Crossing Treatments

Author(s):  
Charlie Zegeer ◽  
Craig Lyon ◽  
Raghavan Srinivasan ◽  
Bhagwant Persaud ◽  
Bo Lan ◽  
...  

The objective of this study was to develop crash modification factors for four treatment types: rectangular rapid-flashing beacon (RRFB), pedestrian hybrid beacon (PHB), pedestrian refuge island (RI), and advance yield or stop markings and signs (AS). From 14 cities throughout the United States, 975 treatment and comparison sites were selected. Most of the treatment sites were selected at intersections on urban, multilane streets, because these locations present a high risk for pedestrian crashes and are where countermeasures typically are needed most. For each treatment site, relevant data were collected on the treatment characteristics, traffic, geometric, and roadway variables, and the pedestrian crashes and other crash types that occurred at each site. Cross-sectional regression models and before–after empirical Bayesian analysis techniques were used to determine the crash effects of each treatment type. All four of the treatment types were found to be associated with reductions in pedestrian crash risk, compared with the reductions at untreated sites. PHBs were associated with the greatest reduction of pedestrian crash risk (55% reduction), followed by RRFBs (47% reduction), RIs (32% reduction), and AS (25% reduction). The results for RRFBs had their basis in a limited sample and must be used with caution.

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.


Author(s):  
Christopher D. Johnson

Pedestrian fatalities on Interstate highways account for more than 10 percent of all pedestrian fatalities in the United States. This study identifies crash types and factors contributing to fatal pedestrian crashes on Interstate highways and surveys countermeasures that address the problem. A 3-year sample of 394 police accident reports detailing fatal Interstate pedestrian crashes in Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina was collected. Data from the reports, including light conditions, pedestrian and driver characteristics, and pedestrian activity at the time of the crash were compiled for analysis. Factors contributing to the crashes included pedestrian and driver alcohol use and poor light conditions. Eighty percent of the crashes occurred after dark. Forty percent of the crashes involved pedestrians entering or crossing the highway. Thirty-two percent involved an unintended pedestrian—someone who had a broken-down vehicle, had been involved in a previous crash, or was walking or standing on the shoulder, but who did not set out to enter the Interstate on foot. Twenty percent of the crashes involved a hit-and-run driver. Common counter-measures currently in place include emergency call stations, roving roadside assistance vehicles, and emergency cellular telephone numbers to report disabled vehicles. About half of the respondents to a national survey of state highway representatives cited the need for additional countermeasures, such as educational programs and access barriers. Further research is necessary to find out which countermeasures are most effective. State rankings based on the number of Interstate pedestrian fatalities per Interstate vehicle kilometer traveled reveal Texas, New Mexico, Delaware, Nevada, and Missouri as the states with the worst relative rates. Motorists should avoid stopping on Interstate highways if at all possible, take measures to make themselves visible, and shield themselves from traffic when stopping is unavoidable.


Author(s):  
Elissa Goughnour ◽  
Daniel Carter ◽  
Craig Lyon ◽  
Bhagwant Persaud ◽  
Bo Lan ◽  
...  

Pedestrian safety is an important public health issue for the United States, with pedestrian fatalities representing approximately 16% of all traffic-related fatalities in 2016. Nationwide, transportation agencies are increasing their efforts to implement engineering-based improvements that increase pedestrian safety. These agencies need statistically rigorous crash modification factors (CMFs) to demonstrate the safety effectiveness of such countermeasures, and to apply in benefit–cost analyses to justify their implementation. This study focused on developing CMFs for two countermeasures that show promise for improving pedestrian safety: protected or protected/permissive left-turn phasing, and leading pedestrian intervals (LPIs). Data were acquired from four North American cities that had installed one or both of the countermeasures of interest: Chicago, IL; New York City, NY; Charlotte, NC; and Toronto, ON. The empirical Bayes before–after study design was applied to estimate the change in expected crash frequency for crashes following treatment. The protected left-turn phasing evaluation showed a benefit in reducing vehicle–vehicle injury crashes, but did not produce statistically significant results for vehicle–pedestrian crashes. For those crashes a disaggregate analysis did reveal that this treatment could be especially beneficial where pedestrian volumes exceed 5,500 per day. The LPI evaluation showed a statistically significant reduction in vehicle–pedestrian crashes with an estimated CMF of 0.87.


2018 ◽  
Vol 160 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle F. Eytan ◽  
Amanda L. Blackford ◽  
David W. Eisele ◽  
Carole Fakhry

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of comorbidities among patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) at the time of their cancer diagnosis and during their survivorship trajectory. The second aim was to evaluate the differences in comorbidities developed according to treatment type received. Study Design Retrospective cross-sectional. Setting SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results)–Medicare linked database. Subjects and Methods Individuals with a first-incident primary diagnosis of HNSCC from 2004 to 2011 per the SEER-Medicare database were included in analysis. The presence or absence of 30 comorbid conditions of interest was identified during distinct periods and analyzed according to treatment with surgery alone, primary (chemo)radiation, or surgery with (chemo)radiation. Results The study population consisted of 10,524 individuals diagnosed with HNSCC, with a mean age of 74.8 years. At diagnosis, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes were the most prevalent comorbidities, and they increased over time. The probability of developing treatment-related comorbidities such as pneumonia, dysphagia, weight loss, malnutrition, and dental issues rose significantly in the short and long term following treatment ( P < .05). By 5 years from cancer diagnosis, patients were most likely to have newly diagnosed hypertension, dysphagia, anemia, and weight loss. Primary surgery alone was associated with a lower risk of diagnosis with these treatment-related comorbidities, as compared with treatments involving radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy in the primary or adjuvant settings ( P < .05). Conclusions There is a large burden of comorbidities among patients following HNSCC treatment, which warrant clinical attention during surveillance.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengpeng Xu ◽  
Siqi Xie ◽  
Ni Dong ◽  
Sze Chun Wong ◽  
Helai Huang

ObjectiveTo advance the interpretation of the ‘safety in numbers’ effect by addressing the following three questions. How should the safety of pedestrians be measured, as the safety of individual pedestrians or as the overall safety of road facilities for pedestrians? Would intersections with large numbers of pedestrians exhibit a favourable safety performance? Would encouraging people to walk be a sound safety countermeasure?MethodsWe selected 288 signalised intersections with 1003 pedestrian crashes in Hong Kong from 2010 to 2012. We developed a Bayesian Poisson-lognormal model to calculate two common indicators related to pedestrian safety: the expected crash rate per million crossing pedestrians and the expected excess crash frequency. The ranking results of these two indicators for the selected intersections were compared.ResultsWe confirmed a significant positive association between pedestrian volumes and pedestrian crashes, with an estimated coefficient of 0.21. Although people who crossed at intersections with higher pedestrian volumes experienced a relatively lower crash risk, these intersections may still have substantial potential for crash reduction.ConclusionsConclusions on the safety in numbers effect based on a cross-sectional analysis should be reached with great caution. The safety of individual pedestrians can be measured based on the crash risk, whereas the safety of road facilities for pedestrians should be determined by the environmental hazards of walking. Intersections prevalent of pedestrians do not always exhibit favourable safety performance. Relative to increasing the number of pedestrians, safety strategies should focus on reducing environmental hazards and removing barriers to walking.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas M. Neuroth ◽  
Dylan Galos ◽  
Li Li ◽  
Songzhu Zhao ◽  
Motao Zhu

Abstract Background Cellphone use while driving (CUWD) is a frequent source of distraction for young drivers. These distractions commonly lead to motor vehicle crashes and, in some cases, death. Crash risk differs depending on if the driver is engaging in handheld or hands-free CUWD. This pilot study sought to investigate the differences between handheld versus hands-free CUWD behaviors in younger drivers and the attitudes and social norms that inform them. Methods Young drivers (mean age: 19.6 years, standard deviation: 0.8 years) were recruited from a large Midwestern city in the United States as part of a pilot study. The 62 enrolled drivers (51 females, 43 non-Hispanic white) completed an online survey measuring behavioral frequencies, attitudes, and social norms regarding talking on the phone, sending messages, and reading messages. These cross-sectional data were then categorized and used for a descriptive analysis. Results The majority of young drivers reported participating in some form of handheld CUWD, with reading messages being the most popular (95%). Only 43% of participants used hands-free technology for sending messages and 30% for reading messages, while half reported not using the technology at all. Whereas handheld messaging behaviors were viewed negatively by the participants, they were unsure of the impact on their driving ability and the legality surrounding hands-free messaging behaviors. Conclusions Handheld CUWD behaviors were more popular among young drivers compared to hands-free CUWD. Further, even though young drivers understood handheld cellphone use while driving is unsafe, they engaged in it anyway. The findings of this pilot study highlight the importance of better educational initiatives and optimizing hands-free interventions for young driver use cases.


2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn R. Klein ◽  
Barbara J. Amster

Abstract A study by Yaruss and Quesal (2002), based on responses from 134 of 239 ASHA accredited graduate programs, indicated that approximately 25% of graduate programs in the United States allow students to earn their degree without having coursework in fluency disorders and 66% of programs allow students to graduate without clinical experience treating people who stutter (PWS). It is not surprising that many clinicians report discomfort in treating PWS. This cross-sectional study compares differences in beliefs about the cause of stuttering between freshman undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory course in communicative disorders and graduate students enrolled and in the final weeks of a graduate course in fluency disorders.


Crisis ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 433-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Gryglewicz ◽  
Melanie Bozzay ◽  
Brittany Arthur-Jordon ◽  
Gabriela D. Romero ◽  
Melissa Witmeier ◽  
...  

Abstract. Background: Given challenges that exceed the normal developmental requirements of adolescence, deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) youth are believed to be at elevated risk for engaging in suicide-related behavior (SRB). Unfortunately, little is known about the mechanisms that put these youth potentially at risk. Aims: To determine whether peer relationship difficulties are related to increased risk of SRB in DHH youth. Method: Student records (n = 74) were retrieved from an accredited educational center for deaf and blind students in the United States. Results: Peer relationship difficulties were found to be significantly associated with engagement in SRB but not when accounting for depressive symptomatology. Limitations: The restricted sample limits generalizability. Conclusions regarding risk causation cannot be made due to the cross-sectional nature of the study. Conclusion: These results suggest the need for future research that examines the mechanisms of the relationship between peer relationship difficulties, depression, and suicide risk in DHH youth and potential preventive interventions to ameliorate the risks for these at-risk youth.


Author(s):  
Caspar C. Berghout ◽  
Jolien Zevalkink ◽  
Abraham N. J. Pieters ◽  
Gregory J. Meyer

In this study we used a quasiexperimental, cross-sectional design with six cohorts differing in phase of treatment (pretreatment, posttreatment, 2-year posttreatment) and treatment type (psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy) and investigated scores on 39 Rorschach-CS variables. The total sample consisted of 176 participants from four mental health care organizations in The Netherlands. We first examined pretreatment differences between patients entering psychoanalysis and patients entering psychoanalytic psychotherapy. The two treatment groups did not seem to differ substantially before treatment, with the exception of the level of ideational problems. Next, we studied the outcome of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy by comparing the Rorschach-CS scores of the six groups of patients. In general, we found significant differences between pretreatment and posttreatment on a relatively small number of Rorschach-CS variables. More pre/post differences were found between the psychoanalytic psychotherapy groups than between the psychoanalysis groups. More research is needed to examine whether analyzing clusters of variables might reveal other results.


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