The objective of this research was to gain insight into the nature of driveway-related crashes in a low-density urban environment. The reviewer performed detailed examinations of over 2,000 accident reports to identify which crashes were driveway-related. Driveway-related was defined as a collision that occurred either directly or indirectly due to the operation of a driveway. Data examined and analyzed include driveway-related crashes as a proportion of all crashes, light and roadway surface conditions, land-use types, crash severity, and pedestrian and bicyclist involvement. The detailed examinations enabled the reviewer to identify the specific maneuver patterns associated with each crash. This level of detail enhanced the ability to correctly identify collisions that were related to the actual operation of a driveway, and would have gone unnoticed in a study of only summary data. It led to expanding the pool of accident-related crashes by 19% over the number in the agency database, and to removing 4% of the crashes from those that had been listed as driveway-related. The findings provides insight into which maneuver patterns and situations are more problematic, and the relative risk for different user groups, both in terms of frequency and severity. Higher proportions of collisions were linked to left-turn maneuvers, backing maneuvers, and use of two-way left-turn lanes. From this information, planners and designers can assess tradeoffs and select practices that will create a safer and more efficient transportation system.
Abstract