Abstract Introduction Crossover and rollover crashes in earth-divided, traversable medians on rural divided highways can lead to severe injury outcomes. This study estimated severity models of these two crash types. Vehicle, driver, roadway, and median cross-section design data were factors considered in the models. A unique aspect of the data used to estimate the models were the availability of median cross-slope data, which are not commonly included in roadway inventory data files. Methods A binary logit model of cross-median crash severity and a multinomial logit model of rollover crash severity were estimated using five years of data from rural divided highways in Pennsylvania. Results The highest probability of a fatal or major injury in cross-median and rollover crashes was found to occur in cases when a driver was not wearing a seatbelt. While flatter cross-slopes and narrower medians were associated with more severe cross-median crash outcomes, steeper cross-slopes and narrower medians significantly increased rollover crash severity outcomes. The presence of horizontal curves was associated with increased probabilities of high-severity outcomes in a median rollover crash. Impact on Industry Modeling results in this study confirmed that cross-median and median rollover crash severity outcomes are associated with median cross-section design characteristics. Based on the estimated models, it appears that flatter and narrower medians lead to more severe injury outcomes in cross-median crashes. Steeper median cross-slopes and narrower medians were associated with higher probabilities of more severe outcomes in median rollover crashes. The results presented in this study suggest that there is a trade-off between median cross-section design and cross-median and rollover crashes in earth-divided, traversable medians on rural divided highways. While the severity models can be included in a framework to develop design guidance in relation to this trade-off, models of crash frequency should also be considered.

    Highlights ► Flatter median cross-slopes increase probability of severe cross-median crash outcomes. ► Steeper median cross-slopes increase probability of severe rollover crash outcomes. ► Narrower medians increase probability of severe cross-median and rollover crash outcomes. ► Unbelted drivers increase probability of fatal or major injuries in cross-median and rollover crashes. ► Horizontal curves increase probability of severe rollover crash outcomes.


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    Titel :

    Severity models of cross-median and rollover crashes on rural divided highways in Pennsylvania


    Beteiligte:
    Hu, Wen (Autor:in) / Donnell, Eric T. (Autor:in)

    Erschienen in:

    Journal of Safety Research ; 42 , 5 ; 375-382


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    2011-07-26


    Format / Umfang :

    8 pages




    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)


    Format :

    Elektronische Ressource


    Sprache :

    Englisch





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