An Analysis of Older-driver Involvement in Crashes and Injury Severity in Kansas

An Analysis of Older-driver Involvement in Crashes and Injury Severity in Kansas PDF Author: Hewage Loshaka Kumara Perera
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The older population (>65 years) numbered 36.8 million in the United States in 2005. By 2030, the number is estimated to be 71.5 million, almost twice as many. An increase in the older population means an increase in older drivers as well. As a result of the natural aging process, the possibility of older drivers being involved in crashes and sustaining severe injuries increases, according to past findings. The objective of this study was to identify characteristics of older drivers involved in crashes in Kansas as well as associated safety issues, which can be used to suggest potential countermeasures for improving safety. A detailed characteristic analysis was carried out for older, middle-aged, and younger drivers involved in crashes, using crash data obtained from the Kansas Department of Transportation, and comparisons were made among the groups. However, the characteristic analysis had no basis with regard to injury severity and hence, univariate statistical analysis was carried out to highlight these severities. In addition, a survey was conducted focusing on identifying older-driver behaviors, potential problems, and level of exposure to various conditions. From the severity analysis, it was found that injury severity of older drivers in crashes occurring on rural roads was significantly higher compared to those on urban roads. Therefore, a detailed analysis was carried out using the decomposition method and ordered probit modeling to identify contributing factors leading to the situation. According to the findings, the number of older male drivers involved in crashes was higher compared to older female drivers, even though older driver licensees' data indicate the opposite. Most of the older-driver-involved crashes occurred under good environmental conditions and at intersections. A majority of older drivers had difficulties associated with left- turn maneuvering and preferred to avoid high-traffic roads and other demanding conditions. Exposure to inclement weather conditions and difficulties associated with merging, diverging, and identifying speeds and distance of oncoming traffic have lead to higher crash propensity. In rural areas, driving in the wrong direction, failing to comply with traffic signs and signals, and speeding were identified as frequent contributing factors in high severe crashes.

An Analysis of Older-driver Involvement in Crashes and Injury Severity in Kansas

An Analysis of Older-driver Involvement in Crashes and Injury Severity in Kansas PDF Author: Hewage Loshaka Kumara Perera
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The older population (>65 years) numbered 36.8 million in the United States in 2005. By 2030, the number is estimated to be 71.5 million, almost twice as many. An increase in the older population means an increase in older drivers as well. As a result of the natural aging process, the possibility of older drivers being involved in crashes and sustaining severe injuries increases, according to past findings. The objective of this study was to identify characteristics of older drivers involved in crashes in Kansas as well as associated safety issues, which can be used to suggest potential countermeasures for improving safety. A detailed characteristic analysis was carried out for older, middle-aged, and younger drivers involved in crashes, using crash data obtained from the Kansas Department of Transportation, and comparisons were made among the groups. However, the characteristic analysis had no basis with regard to injury severity and hence, univariate statistical analysis was carried out to highlight these severities. In addition, a survey was conducted focusing on identifying older-driver behaviors, potential problems, and level of exposure to various conditions. From the severity analysis, it was found that injury severity of older drivers in crashes occurring on rural roads was significantly higher compared to those on urban roads. Therefore, a detailed analysis was carried out using the decomposition method and ordered probit modeling to identify contributing factors leading to the situation. According to the findings, the number of older male drivers involved in crashes was higher compared to older female drivers, even though older driver licensees' data indicate the opposite. Most of the older-driver-involved crashes occurred under good environmental conditions and at intersections. A majority of older drivers had difficulties associated with left- turn maneuvering and preferred to avoid high-traffic roads and other demanding conditions. Exposure to inclement weather conditions and difficulties associated with merging, diverging, and identifying speeds and distance of oncoming traffic have lead to higher crash propensity. In rural areas, driving in the wrong direction, failing to comply with traffic signs and signals, and speeding were identified as frequent contributing factors in high severe crashes.

Highway Safety Issues of Older Drivers in Kansas

Highway Safety Issues of Older Drivers in Kansas PDF Author: Sunanda Dissanayake
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ISBN:
Category : Older automobile drivers
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Book Description
"The older population (>65 years) numbered 36.8 million in the United States in 2005. By 2030, the number is estimated to be 71.5 million, almost twice as many. An increase in the older population means an increase in older drivers as well. As a result of the natural aging process, the possibility of older drivers being involved in crashes and sustaining severe injuries increases, according to past findings. The objective of this study was to identify characteristics of older drivers involved in crashes in Kansas as well as associated safety issues, which can be used to suggest potential countermeasures for improving safety"--Technical report documentation page

Crash Analysis and Road User Survey to Identify Issues and Countermeasures for Older Drivers in Kansas

Crash Analysis and Road User Survey to Identify Issues and Countermeasures for Older Drivers in Kansas PDF Author: Koththigoda Kankanamge Sameera Chathuranga
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The percentage of the U.S. population aged 65 years or older is increasing rapidly. Statistics also show this age group was 14.9 percent of the population in 2015 and is expected to be 20.7 to 21.4 percent for the years 2030-2050. Kansas has similar statewide trends with its aging population. Therefore, identifying issues, concerns, and factors associated with severity of older-driver crashes in Kansas is necessary. The Kansas Crash Analysis and Reporting System (KCARS) database maintained by Kansas Department of Transportation was used in this study to identify older-driver crash characteristics, compare older drivers with all drivers, and develop crash severity models. According to KCARS data, older drivers were involved in more than one in five fatal injuries out of all drivers in Kansas from 2010 to 2014. When compared with all drivers, older drivers were overly represented in fatal and incapacitating injuries. The percentage of older-driver fatal injuries was more than the twice that of all drivers. When compared with all drivers, older drivers were involved more often in crashes at four-way intersections, on straight and level roads, in daylight hours, and at a stop or yield signs. An in-depth crash severity analysis was carried out for the older drivers involved in crashes. Three separate binary logistic regression models were developed for single-vehicle crashes where only the older driver was present (Model A), single-vehicle crashes involving an older driver with at least one passenger (Model B), and multi-vehicle crashes involving at least one older driver (Model C). From the crash severity analysis, it was found that left turns were significant in changing the crash severity for Model A, but it was not significant in model B, meaning that older drivers may be safer with passengers. For Model B, none of the passenger attributes were significant, though it was originally developed to identify passenger attributes. Gender of the older driver was not significant in any model. For all models, variables such as safety equipment use, crash location, weather conditions, driver ejected or trapped, and light conditions distinguished crash severity. Furthermore, for Model A, variables such as day of the week, speed, accident class, and maneuver, distinguished crash severity. Moreover, accident class, surface type, and vehicle type changed crash severity in Model B. Number of vehicles, speed, collision type, maneuver, and two-lane roads were significant in Model C.A road-user survey was also conducted to identify habits, needs, and concerns of Kansas' aging road users since it was not advisable to conclude safety factors solely on crash data. The probability of occurrence was calculated by taking the weighted average of answers to a question. Then a contingency table analysis was carried out to identify relationships among variables. For older drivers, seatbelt use as a driver had the highest probability of occurrence. Driving in heavy traffic, merging into traffic, moving away from traffic, and judging gaps were dependent on age group. Findings of this research gave an understanding of older-driver crashes and associated factors. Since more than 85 percent of crash contributory causes were related to drivers, driver awareness programs, driver licensing restrictions, providing public transportation, and law enforcement can be used as countermeasures. Accordingly, results of this study can be used to enhance older-driver safety and awareness programs.

Aging Road User Survey and Crash Analysis to Identify Issues and Applicable Improvement Strategies for Kansas Conditions

Aging Road User Survey and Crash Analysis to Identify Issues and Applicable Improvement Strategies for Kansas Conditions PDF Author: Sunanda Dissanayake
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 103

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Book Description
The percentage of the United States population aged 65 years or older is increasing rapidly. Statistics show this age group was 14.9 percent of the population in 2015 and is expected to be 20.7 to 21.4 percent for the years 2030–2050. Kansas has similar statewide trends with its aging population. Therefore, identifying issues, concerns, and factors associated with highway safety of older drivers in Kansas is necessary and useful. The Kansas Crash Analysis and Reporting System (KCARS) database maintained by the Kansas Department of Transportation was used in this study to identify older-driver crash characteristics, compare older drivers with all drivers, and develop crash severity models. According to KCARS data, older drivers were involved in more than one in five fatalities in Kansas from 2010 to 2014. When compared with all drivers, older drivers were overly represented in fatal and incapacitating injuries. The percentage of older-driver fatal injuries was more than twice that of all drivers. Older drivers were involved more often in crashes at four-way intersections, on straight and level roads, in daylight hours, and at stop or yield signs. Due to the high severities of older-driver crashes, an in-depth crash severity analysis was carried out for the older drivers involved in crashes. Three separate binary logistic regression models were developed for single-vehicle crashes where only the older driver was present (Model A), single-vehicle crashes involving an older driver with at least one passenger (Model B), and multi-vehicle crashes involving at least one older driver (Model C). From the crash severity analysis, it was found that left turns were significant in changing the crash severity for Model A, though it was not significant in Model B. For Model B, none of the passenger attributes were significant, though it was originally developed to identify passenger attributes. Gender of the older driver was not significant in any of the models. For all models, variables such as safety equipment use, crash location, weather conditions, driver ejected or trapped, and light conditions distinguished crash severity. Furthermore, for Model A, variables such as day of the week, speed, accident class, and maneuver, were associated with crash severity. Accident class, surface type, and vehicle type changed crash severity in Model B. Number of vehicles, speed, collision type, maneuver, and two-lane roads were significant in Model C. A road-user survey was also conducted to identify habits, needs, and concerns of Kansas' aging road users, since it was not advisable to conclude safety factors solely on crash data. The probability of occurrence was calculated by taking the weighted average of answers to a question. Contingency table analysis was carried out to identify relationships among variables. For older drivers, seatbelt use as a driver had the highest probability of occurrence. Driving in heavy traffic, merging into traffic, moving away from traffic, and judging gaps were dependent on age group. Findings of this research gave understanding of older-driver crashes and associated factors. Since more than 85 percent of crash contributory causes were related to drivers, driver awareness programs, driver licensing restrictions, providing public transportation, and law enforcement can be considered as potential countermeasures. Accordingly, results of this study could be used to enhance older-driver safety and awareness programs.

Analysis of Crash and Survey Data to Identify Young Drivers' Distractions in Kansas

Analysis of Crash and Survey Data to Identify Young Drivers' Distractions in Kansas PDF Author: Ibrahim Alfallaj
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Young drivers are over-represented in crashes when compared to other age group drivers. Distracted driving is one of the major causes of traffic crashes by young drivers. The objective of this study was to assess the hazards of distracted driving among teenage (15-20 year old) and young-adult (21-26 year old) drivers in Kansas. This study used five years of crash data from the Kansas Crash and Analysis Reporting System (KCARS) database from 2011 to 2015. A multinomial logit modeling was used to identify the odds that a driver with a certain type of distraction would be involved in one of the three most common crash types: rear-end, angular, and single-vehicle crashes. Furthermore, ordered logistic modeling was used to analyze the crash data to identify the odds of more severe injuries for teenage and young-adult distracted drivers and their passengers involved in crashes. Survey data was used to develop a structural equation model (SEM) to define the relationship among young drivers' characteristics (e.g., participants' socioeconomic and demographic status), attitudes, and behaviors associated with distracted driving and cell phone use while driving. Preliminary analysis showed that more than 12% of the total young drivers' crashes were distraction-affected crashes. According to the multinomial logit model results, most distraction types for teenage and young-adult drivers are related to rear-end or angular collisions. However, when distracted by cell phones at night, teenage drivers had a greater probability of being involved in single-vehicle crashes. In addition, when teenage drivers drove with their peers as front-seat passengers and were distracted in/on vehicle or by other electronic devices, they were more likely to be involved in single-vehicle crashes. Young-adult drivers distracted in/on vehicle or by cell phones under different conditions such as while driving old or sport utility vehicles, on curved roads, or at intersections, they were more likely to be involved in single-vehicle or angular crashes. Whereas, when they were inattentive during the weekend, rear-end collisions were the most likely collision type. According to the results of the ordered logistic model, teenage and young-adult drivers were more likely to be severely injured in cell phone-related crashes. More specifically, female teenage drivers had a greater probability of being severely injured than male teenage drivers when they were distracted by a cell phone, inside the vehicle, or were inattentive. Young-adult drivers that were distracted on road construction work zones by a cell phone or inside the vehicle, they and their passengers had a greater likelihood of sustaining a severe injury. The SEM results revealed that teenage drivers are more prone than young-adult drivers to drive while distracted and are less likely to support the Kansas laws that ban cell phone use while driving. Also, the model results showed that young drivers who have been involved in crashes or near-crashes during the previous year are more likely to drive while distracted. These results indicate that distractions create threats to the lives of young Kansas drivers, their passengers, and other road users.

Older Drivers

Older Drivers PDF Author: Ezio C. Cerrelli
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Older automobile drivers
Languages : en
Pages : 28

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Comparison of Young and Adult Driver Crashes in Alaska Using Linked Traffic Crash and Hospital Data

Comparison of Young and Adult Driver Crashes in Alaska Using Linked Traffic Crash and Hospital Data PDF Author: Martha A. Moore
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ISBN:
Category : Older automobile drivers
Languages : en
Pages : 24

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Analysis of Risk Factors Associated with Fatal Intersection Crashes Involving Older Drivers in the Midwest

Analysis of Risk Factors Associated with Fatal Intersection Crashes Involving Older Drivers in the Midwest PDF Author: Abdulaziz Hebni Alshehri
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Motor vehicles are the primary source of transportation in the United States. While this is true for any age group, the older population tend to rely more heavily on automobiles because of easy access and availability, compared to public transportation even when it is available. Older drivers aged 65 years and older are more vulnerable to fatal crashes due to cognitive impairments and frailty. When older drivers are involved in crashes, they sustain higher injury severities compared to younger drivers. One location where older driver experience higher crash risk is intersection, due to the complexity of the situation involving multiple tasks and movements. The objectives of this study were to determine risk factors associated with intersection-related crashes involving older drivers in the Midwestern states and to provide countermeasure ideas to improve safety. Five-year fatal crash data from 2014 to 2018 from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database were utilized, and statistical analysis was carried out to identify characteristics of fatal crashes involving older drivers and risk factors associated with intersection crashes among this age group. Three separate binary logistic regression models were developed to identify statistically significant predictor variables. First model represents older drivers who are involved in fatal single-vehicle crashes. Second model represents fatal multi-vehicle crashes involving at least one older driver, whereas the third model represents fatal single-vehicle crashes involving drivers younger than 65 years for comparison purposes. The dependent variable is whether a fatal crash occurs at an intersection location or not. Many independent variables that include various crash, driver, vehicle, and environmental factors were considered. By considering a 95 percent confidence level, odds ratios were estimated and used to identify relative risk factors of fatal intersection crashes. Analysis showed that controlled intersections, two-way undivided highways, and roads with posted speed limits less than 55 mph increased the risk of fatal single-vehicle and multi-vehicle crashes for older drivers. Fatal single-vehicle crashes were especially prevalent for these drivers. Factors such as urban roadways, driver age older than 75 years, nighttime driving, and speeding increased the risk of single-vehicle fatal intersection crashes, while turning movements and intersecting paths, straight and level roadways, two-lanes highway, and violation of roadway rules increased the risk of multi-vehicle fatal intersection crashes for older drivers. Single-vehicle fatal intersection crash analysis also showed that controlled intersections, two-way undivided highways, roads with posted speed limits less than 55 mph, urban roadways, speeding, nighttime driving, and fixed objects increased the risk of intersection-related fatal single-vehicle crashes, especially for older drivers. However, factors such as straight and level roadways, impaired driving, driver obesity, and the operation of recreation vehicles, buses, or motorcycles increased the risk of single-vehicle fatal intersection crashes for drivers in other age categories. Based on model results, countermeasure ideas to improve the safety of older drivers at intersections as well as other road users were identified. Among suggested ideas, improving intersections designs to accommodate older driver needs is recommended, such as implementing roundabouts when it is appropriate, reach minimum of 75-degree skew angel at intersection, providing protected left turn signals, flashing yellow arrow, restricted crossing U-turn, median U-turn, using rumble stripes along the side of roadway and median, providing transverse rumble strips (TRS) at intersections, improving roadway lighting, signs and markings at intersections and interchanges, implementing roadway diet, enhancing roadway signs and retroreflective delineation, providing cable, guardrail, or concrete barriers, implementing continuous raised-curb medians, enhancing lane drop marking on interchanges, providing acceleration and deceleration lane for merging and diverging locations, providing fixed or portable changeable message signs, enhancing high friction surface treatments on risk prone locations, increasing contrast markings on concrete pavement. Beside the engineering countermeasures, using newer vehicles that equipped with many safety features is advisable to enhance older and other drivers' safety. In addition, older driver license renewal may be modified to be required yearly to overcome early signs of fatigue or cognitive decline to reduce fatal crash risks and enhance safety. Therefore, the results and suggested countermeasures can provide guidance to improve safety of older drivers and other road users.

A Retrospective Study of Older Driver Crashes in Mississippi

A Retrospective Study of Older Driver Crashes in Mississippi PDF Author: Christy M. Morgan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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The Older Driver

The Older Driver PDF Author: Sherman G. Finesilver
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Automobile drivers
Languages : en
Pages : 38

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