Prioritizing safety funding using severity weighted risk scores

Area of Science:

• Transportation Engineering
• Traffic Safety Analysis
• Roadway Infrastructure Management

Background:

• Limited funding necessitates efficient allocation for transportation safety improvements.
• Prioritizing safety investments requires robust methods for identifying high-risk locations.
• Existing methods may not adequately address both roadway segments and intersections simultaneously.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the Two-Output Model for Safety (TOMS) for prioritizing transportation safety funding.
• To develop a method for analyzing both roadway segments and intersections for safety.
• To provide a data-driven approach for allocating limited safety improvement funds.

Main Methods:

• The Two-Output Model for Safety (TOMS) was developed to compile and process transportation data.
• Roadway segmentation based on traffic volume, functional class, lanes, speed limit, and urban code.
• Intersection data assignment and analysis using an excess weighted risk score, incorporating crash severity and frequency.

Main Results:

• TOMS generates distinct segment and intersection files for statistical analysis.
• An excess weighted risk score effectively combines crash severity and frequency for prioritization.
• High excess weighted risk scores identify segments and intersections most in need of safety funding.

Conclusions:

• The simultaneous analysis of intersections and segments, using excess weighted risk scores, is effective for safety funding prioritization.
• TOMS provides a structured approach for identifying critical safety improvement locations.
• The model supports informed decision-making for government agencies managing transportation safety budgets.