MPC Research Reports
Report Details

Title:	Investigation of Interaction between Traffic Safety, Law Enforcement and Environment
Authors:	Feng Chen, Xiaoxiang Ma, and Suren Chen
University:	Colorado State University
Publication Date:	Sep 2016
Report #:	MPC-16-311
Project #:	MPC-380
TRID #:	01616910
Keywords:	crashes, highway safety, law enforcement, traffic safety, weather conditions

Abstract

For highways located in different counties and cities across the country, specific conditions of weather, terrain, traffic characteristics, highway conditions, population and economic development are all different. Driving environments, traffic accidents and injury risks have strong interactions, which have not been fully explored. To effectively mitigate traffic accidents and injury severity on these highways, both rational risk prediction and law enforcement efforts are important. This study conducts an investigation on interactions between those traffic accidents, various driving environments and also mitigation efforts, such as law enforcement.

This study began with a literature review on state-of-the-art traffic accident prediction and mitigation. A comprehensive historical data analysis of traffic accidents in Colorado was conducted. Insights were given about interactions between traffic safety, critical variables, and terrain conditions. By developing advanced traffic accident frequency and injury severity prediction models, trends of two major interstate highways and of the entire state's highways could be discussed. Due to the lack of site-specific law enforcement data, the study related to law enforcement is still preliminary and focuses on a review study of existing law enforcement efforts in the United States.

How to Cite

Chen, Feng, Xiaoxiang Ma, and Suren Chen. Investigation of Interaction between Traffic Safety, Law Enforcement and Environment, MPC-16-311. North Dakota State University - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, Fargo: Mountain-Plains Consortium, 2016.