Safety Impacts of Right-Turn Lanes at Unsignalized Intersections and Driveways on Two-Lane Roadways: Crash Analysis
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 140, Issue 2
Abstract
Safety benefits of right-turn lanes (RTLs) have typically been estimated on the premise that right-turn movements (RTMs) only lead to rear-end (RE) crashes, and RTLs completely eliminate such RE crashes. This premise is reexamined in this study. Five-year, event-specific, statewide, historical data of traffic crashes reported on Minnesota’s two-lane trunk highways were analyzed using logistic regression models (LRMs) to determine the safety impacts of RTMs/RTLs at uncontrolled major road approaches to intersections/driveways. It was found that the crashes caused by right-turning vehicles were less severe (mostly property damage), and interestingly, only 39% of those were identified as RE type. Right-turn lanes were found to reduce such RE crashes, on average, by 30% (not completely eliminate), reduce crash injury severity, and decrease the associated economic costs by 26%. Relative risks of RE crashes at driveways were 1.3 to 1.9 times higher compared with those at intersections, suggesting the need for separate set of volume warrants for RTLs. Logistic regression models developed provide the relationships to quantify RTL benefits for different roadway/operating conditions found statewide and can serve as a basis for safety-based warrants.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank Mn/DOT for the sponsorship of this study. However, the authors are solely responsible for the research and findings presented in this paper. The authors acknowledge Sunil Gyawali, Pavan Chevuri, Travis Brossart, Darwin Schneider, and Joseph Membah for their help in examining the crash reports and videolog data.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 140 • Issue 2 • February 2014
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 24, 2013
Accepted: Sep 3, 2013
Published online: Sep 5, 2013
Published in print: Feb 1, 2014
Discussion open until: Apr 5, 2014
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