01337724

Component

In 2008, the United States saw a 9.7% reduction in traffic fatalities and a 3.5% reduction in total crashes while Virginia saw a 20% reduction in traffic fatalities. Such recent reductions lead to the question: What caused the reductions or what factors were associated with them? This study attempted to answer this question using historical annual data. Specifically, the study related 18 factors reflecting various aspects potentially relevant to traffic safety to seven traffic safety measures (e.g., the numbers of fatalities and fatal crashes) in terms of annual changes to find factors explaining fluctuations in the safety measures. Annual changes in typical crash exposures (e.g., vehicle miles traveled and population) were not generally associated with annual changes in the safety measures. Annual changes in two economic indicators (Virginia's unemployment rate and the U.S. Consumer Price Index [CPI]) were strongly associated with annual changes in most of the seven measures. Annual changes in the CPI and Virginia's unemployment rate explained about one half of the annual changes in total crash counts and fatal crash counts of Virginia, respectively. Changes in crash counts (e.g., fatal crash) were better explained than changes in victim counts (e.g., fatality) by relevant factors probably because victim counts are influenced by occupancy rates possibly varying over years.

The DVD lists the title of this paper as: What Affects Annual Changes in Traffic Safety Measures in Virginia? Macroscopic Perspective.

01329018

11-1742

English

12p

2011

Transportation Research Board 90th Annual Meeting

DVD

Figures (1) ; References (19) ; Tables (2)

Annual; Crash data; Fatalities; Safety; Traffic crash victims; Traffic data; Traffic safety; Unemployment

Consumer Price Index

Crash reduction factors

Virginia

Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I81: Accident Statistics

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2011 Paper #11-1742

TRIS, TRB

Feb 17 2011 5:54PM