An in-depth study of accidents involving collisions with utility poles

This paper summarizes the objectives, methodology, findings, and recommendations of a large-scale study of automobile crashes involving utility poles. In an 8-month survey of accidents, information on site characteristics and accident severity was obtained for a sample of 879 crashes. Randomly-selected samples of 795 sites and 627 vehicles provided control information. An accident-predictor model which identifies accident risk on the basis of site measurements has been derived. The model reveals a range of relative risks in the population of exposed poles of the order of 1000:1, and enables the identification of the relatively small proportion of poles which account for the majority of accidents. The model was used in conjunction with estimates of the costs of accidents to show that a number of remedial treatments are warranted. The hazardous effects of low tyre tread depths and improper tyre inflation pressures are also demonstrated.