A Wrong-Way Driving Crash Risk Reduction Approach for Cost-Effective Installation of Advanced Technology Wrong-Way Driving Countermeasures

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation R

2021

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Limited access facility wrong-way driving (WWD) crashes are typically more severe than other crashes. Deploying advanced WWD countermeasures, such as rectangular flashing beacon (RFB) and light-emitting diode (LED) technologies, at exit ramps can reduce WWD crashes, injuries, and fatalities. No previous research has developed a methodology to quantify the potential fatality and injury savings because of future countermeasure deployments. This paper developed such a methodology and applied it to Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) toll road network. From 2011–2016, there were 53 FTE WWD crashes, resulting in 16 fatalities and annual injury costs of $37 million. The proportion of these crashes occurring during night-time was 87%. RFB and LED life-cycle injury savings and costs were determined for all 216 FTE exits. The total savings were $424 million for RFBs (benefit–cost [B/C] ratio of 23.20) and $144 million for LEDs (B/C ratio of 13.13). Deploying countermeasures at the 103 exits with the highest B/C ratios would provide 70% of the total possible savings by equipping 40% of the ramps. For the same capital investment, RFBs provide more savings than LEDs. Spending $1 million to deploy RFBs will provide similar savings as spending $3.4 million to deploy LEDs. Evaluating the existing FTE RFB and LED ramps shows that RFBs are more effective at night-time and can provide three times the savings of LEDs. The results of this paper show the improved performance of RFBs over LEDs and provide an example that other agencies could follow to identify savings and cost-effectively deploy advanced WWD countermeasures.

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating Fatality and Injury Savings Because of Deployment of Advanced Wrong-Way Driving Countermeasures on a Toll Road Network

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation R

2021

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“…These techniques have also been used to help agencies decide on Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technologies and determine highway and intersection safety improvements that will provide the maximum benefits while meeting budgetary and other constraints (22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27). Optimization was first considered to help agencies deploy WWD countermeasures in (2), where an algorithm was developed and applied to a hypothetical example. The research discussed in this paper significantly improves on this previous research by replacing assumptions with actual data (as previously mentioned in the introduction).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responding to the Wrong-Way Driving Problem with Limited Resources by Optimizing the Placement of Wrong-Way Driving Countermeasure Technologies on Limited Access Facilities

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation R

Kayes

2019

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It can be expensive for agencies to deploy wrong-way driving (WWD) countermeasure technologies on limited access facilities. This paper discusses a WWD crash risk (WWCR) reduction approach to help agencies determine the most cost-effective deployment locations. First, a directional WWCR model identifies roadway segments with high WWCR (WWD hotspots), then two optimization algorithms identify individual exits and mainline sections with high WWCR for priority deployment of WWD countermeasure technologies. This new approach was applied to the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) toll road network to determine priority deployment locations for “Wrong Way” signs with Rectangular Flashing Beacons (RFBs). After modeling each direction of the CFX roadways separately, fifteen WWD hotspot segments were identified. WWCR reduction values were calculated for each exit by determining how far wrong-way vehicles travel based on WWD 911 call data. The exit ramp optimization algorithm was then tested for four investment levels using actual RFB deployment costs and real-world constraints. These optimization results could help CFX better utilize its investment by between 9% and 28% compared with only deploying RFBs at exits in the WWD hotspot segments. The mainline optimization algorithm, which considered the WWCR reduction caused by RFBs already deployed at CFX exit ramps, showed that State Road (SR) 408, SR 417, and SR 528 have mainline sections with high WWCR. These results show how the WWCR reduction approach can help agencies identify WWD hotspot segments and high-WWCR exits not in these segments (lone wolf exits), better utilize their investment, and determine mainline sections with high WWCR.

“…This research included a benefit-cost analysis of these LED WWD countermeasures resulting in a benefit-cost ratio of 13.1, however details of this analysis were not found (12). UCF researchers have built models to predict WWD crashes and non-crash events using various roadway characteristics and driver demographics, developed an optimization approach to help agencies effectively deploy WWD countermeasures, surveyed drivers and law enforcement officers about WWD behavior, analyzed the factors that affect law enforcement response time to WWD events, and evaluated LED and RFB WWD countermeasures installed on toll roads in South and Central Florida (1,(5)(6)(7)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21). However, none of this previous research involved benefit-cost analyses of ITS WWD countermeasures.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Three different methods are used to estimate these savings. These methods utilize the optimization approach developed in ( 6 , 7 ), before–after analyses for the RFB sites and similar control sites without RFBs, and the relationship between WWD crash and non-crash events to provide a range of potential benefits.…”

Section: Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The main components of these methodologies are a WWD crash risk (WWCR) reduction approach, before–after analyses using a comparison group, and examination of the overlap between WWD crashes and non-crash events (WWD 911 calls and citations). The WWCR reduction approach was originally developed by the authors to determine the optimal deployment locations for ITS WWD countermeasures ( 6 , 7 ), but it can also be used to estimate the benefits of deployed countermeasures. These methodologies could be applied by any agency worldwide to estimate the benefits of these countermeasures and are especially useful when limited crash data are available.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Benefit–Cost Analyses of Rectangular Flashing Beacon Wrong-Way Driving Countermeasures on Toll Road Exit Ramps in Florida

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation R

Kayes

et al. 2019

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In recent years, rectangular flashing beacons (RFBs) and other technologies have been used as wrong-way driving (WWD) countermeasures on limited access facilities. Studies have shown that these devices effectively reduce WWD, but no research has compared the financial benefits and costs of these countermeasures. Three different methodologies were used to conduct benefit–cost analyses for RFB WWD countermeasures installed on Central Florida toll road exit ramps. The studied benefits included savings from reductions in WWD crashes, non-crash events, and injuries, whereas costs included equipment, installation, and maintenance costs. For the first two methodologies, the reduction in WWD crash risk (WWCR) at the RFB-equipped ramps was determined. This WWCR considered non-crash WWD events, interchange design, and traffic volumes. Different measures of effectiveness (turn-around percentage of detected wrong-way vehicles at the RFB ramps and reduction in WWD 911 calls and citations at the RFB interchanges compared with similar comparison interchanges without RFBs) were used in these two methodologies to estimate the WWCR reduction and associated savings. For the third methodology, the relationship between WWD crashes and non-crash events was used to determine the average savings for WWD 911 calls and citations. Before–after analyses were then conducted to determine the individual reductions in WWD 911 calls and citations. Applying these three methods resulted in life-cycle benefit–cost ratios ranging from 2.49 to 4.10 (crash savings) and from 4.77 to 7.20 (injury savings). Other agencies could use these methodologies to determine the benefits of WWD countermeasures or other technologies with limited crash data.