TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of the International Roughness Index and Rut Depth on Crash Rates
AU - Mamlouk, Michael
AU - Vinayakamurthy, Mounica
AU - Underwood, B. Shane
AU - Kaloush, Kamil
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© National Academy of Sciences: Transportation Research Board 2018.
PY - 2018/12/1
Y1 - 2018/12/1
N2 - Pavement distresses directly affect ride quality, and indirectly contribute to driver distraction, vehicle operation, and accidents. In this study, analysis was performed on highways in the states of Arizona, North Carolina, and Maryland to investigate the relationship between accident rate and pavement ride quality (roughness) and rut depth. Two main types of data were collected: crash data from the accident records and International Roughness Index (IRI) and rut depth data from the pavement management system database in each state. Crash rates were calculated using the U.S. Department of Transportation method, which is the number of accidents per 100 million vehicle-miles of travel. Sigmoidal function regression analysis was performed to study the relationship between crash rate and both IRI and rut depth. In all cases, the crash rate did not show substantial increases until an IRI value of 210 inches/mile or a critical rut depth of 0.4 inches. When the IRI or rut depth increased above these values the crash rate increased. This is a key conclusion that provides empirically derived thresholds for IRI and rut depth to reducing the accident rate.
AB - Pavement distresses directly affect ride quality, and indirectly contribute to driver distraction, vehicle operation, and accidents. In this study, analysis was performed on highways in the states of Arizona, North Carolina, and Maryland to investigate the relationship between accident rate and pavement ride quality (roughness) and rut depth. Two main types of data were collected: crash data from the accident records and International Roughness Index (IRI) and rut depth data from the pavement management system database in each state. Crash rates were calculated using the U.S. Department of Transportation method, which is the number of accidents per 100 million vehicle-miles of travel. Sigmoidal function regression analysis was performed to study the relationship between crash rate and both IRI and rut depth. In all cases, the crash rate did not show substantial increases until an IRI value of 210 inches/mile or a critical rut depth of 0.4 inches. When the IRI or rut depth increased above these values the crash rate increased. This is a key conclusion that provides empirically derived thresholds for IRI and rut depth to reducing the accident rate.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85049018859&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85049018859&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0361198118781137
DO - 10.1177/0361198118781137
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85049018859
SN - 0361-1981
VL - 2672
SP - 418
EP - 429
JO - Transportation Research Record
JF - Transportation Research Record
IS - 40
ER -