“…Fig. 1 presents the conceptual model framework, which followed the safety system approach and was built based on existing studies ( Apronti et al, 2019 ; Lemp et al, 2011 ; Zhu and Srinivasan, 2011a , b ) and data availability. Fig.…”
Background
Trucks play a vital role in promoting regional freight transportation and economic development, but truck-involved collisions often have more severe consequences and create greater losses for society.
Research purpose
This study examined the relationships between injury severity and various explanatory factors in truck-involved collisions to identify preventive countermeasures for safety improvement.
Data
Los Angeles’ collision records from 2010 to 2018 were analyzed.
Method
A cumulative link mixed model was applied, where the heterogeneities among drivers were highlighted.
Result
Our findings confirmed that various driving mistakes, such as speeding, improper driving, and drinking alcohol, contributed to severe injuries. Male drivers were more likely to be severely injured, while female occupants were more likely to be severely injured. The use of safety equipment always helped mitigate injury severity. Collisions at night on dark roads with no streetlights and collisions on slippery road surfaces had higher risks of causing severe injuries. In addition, collisions on ramps were more likely to result in severe injuries. Drivers in old trucks were also at a higher risk of suffering from severe injuries.
Conclusions
Freight companies are encouraged to monitor drivers’ performance using remote cameras. Policy-wise, local agencies should regulate improper driving behavior and safety equipment use for truck drivers. Improving lighting conditions, periodically testing the skid resistance of road surfaces, adjusting speed limits, and applying weigh-in-motion technologies may greatly help mitigate injury severity. Old trucks should be brought in for frequent tests or abandoned after many years of usage.
“…Fig. 1 presents the conceptual model framework, which followed the safety system approach and was built based on existing studies ( Apronti et al, 2019 ; Lemp et al, 2011 ; Zhu and Srinivasan, 2011a , b ) and data availability. Fig.…”
Background
Trucks play a vital role in promoting regional freight transportation and economic development, but truck-involved collisions often have more severe consequences and create greater losses for society.
Research purpose
This study examined the relationships between injury severity and various explanatory factors in truck-involved collisions to identify preventive countermeasures for safety improvement.
Data
Los Angeles’ collision records from 2010 to 2018 were analyzed.
Method
A cumulative link mixed model was applied, where the heterogeneities among drivers were highlighted.
Result
Our findings confirmed that various driving mistakes, such as speeding, improper driving, and drinking alcohol, contributed to severe injuries. Male drivers were more likely to be severely injured, while female occupants were more likely to be severely injured. The use of safety equipment always helped mitigate injury severity. Collisions at night on dark roads with no streetlights and collisions on slippery road surfaces had higher risks of causing severe injuries. In addition, collisions on ramps were more likely to result in severe injuries. Drivers in old trucks were also at a higher risk of suffering from severe injuries.
Conclusions
Freight companies are encouraged to monitor drivers’ performance using remote cameras. Policy-wise, local agencies should regulate improper driving behavior and safety equipment use for truck drivers. Improving lighting conditions, periodically testing the skid resistance of road surfaces, adjusting speed limits, and applying weigh-in-motion technologies may greatly help mitigate injury severity. Old trucks should be brought in for frequent tests or abandoned after many years of usage.
“…The arrester bed for the tests was built on a curve on a closed road of a racing circuit and consisted of a 0.5 m-deep cavity filled with 16-32 mm round gravel according to the requirements for unbound materials for civil engineering work and road construction [28]. This granularity of gravel is generally recommended for truck escape ramps in most reports and design guidelines [15][16][17][18]. The test arrester bed was of trapezoidal shape, measuring just over 55 m in length and 9 to 26 m in width.…”
Section: Methodsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Gravel-filled arrester beds are a proven safety measure for stopping heavy road vehicles in the case of brake-system failures. Several studies and reports [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] have confirmed they are an efficient measure for this purpose. Their designs have been unified and accepted as part of design manuals, such as the one issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation [18].…”
Gravel-filled arrester beds, also called safety-escape ramps or vehicle run-out areas, have long been a road-safety feature for safely stopping heavy road vehicles from running off the road. In the recent past, there has been consideration given to installing these features on highway access ramps to provide safe areas to stop passenger cars driving at highway speeds. The work presented in this article was performed to investigate the behaviour of standard-size passenger cars on gravel-filled arrester beds, with a particular focus on the achievable vehicle decelerations and the ability of the arrester beds to safely stop a passenger car coasting in an uncontrolled manner. The findings show that the achievable average decelerations are in the range of 0.3 g for coasting vehicles and up to 0.9 g when the vehicles are braking. The results prove that more research is required to quantify the influence of the gravel parameters on the achievable decelerations.
“…An analysis of the effects of horizontal curves on truck safety showed a significant increase in truck crashes because of both horizontal curvature and volume of passenger vehicle traffic ( 21 ). A previous study in Wyoming indicated that long, steep grades have a significant effect on truck crashes ( 22 ). The study also recommended some improvements to the current advanced warning signs and that implementing an improved warning system would significantly improve truck safety at hazardous locations.…”
The State of Wyoming experiences a high percentage of truck traffic along all its highways, especially Interstate 80 (I-80). The increased interactions between trucks and other vehicles have raised many operational and safety concerns. This paper presents a safety analysis and a development of safety performance functions (SPFs) along I-80, with a focus on truck crashes. Nine years of historical crash data in Wyoming (2008–2016) were used to observe the involvement of light, medium, and heavy trucks in crashes. Analysis of the major contributory factors showed that 54% of the total truck-related crashes occurred during icy road conditions and about 46% during snowy weather conditions, and approximately 45% involved driving too fast and driving in improper lane. The analysis also included segments with horizontal curves and vertical grades and their impacts on truck crashes. The crash rate analysis showed higher truck crash rate compared with total crash rate considering equal vehicle miles traveled as exposure. A zero-inflated negative binomial model was applied to develop Wyoming-specific SPFs for various truck crash types. The effects of traffic, road geometry characteristics, and weather parameters influencing different truck-related crashes were quantified from these models. Downgrades and steep upgrade sections were found to increase truck-related crashes. The number of rainy days per year was found to be a significant variable affecting truck-related crashes. On the other hand, the presence of climbing lanes has significant safety benefits.
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