Researchers: David Noyce (PI), Andrea Bill
Primary Project Objectives
This research focuses on conducting a system-wide review of existing oversized/overweight (OSOW) long truck safety concerns and address current problematic areas using truck crash data. Within the United States over 70 percent of the goods and merchandise are transported by trucks. Freight transportation has been a foundation to the American economy and there is no exception in the State of Wisconsin. By conducting a system-wide long truck safety and enforcement study we can address the existing infrastructural deficiencies in the Wisconsin highway systems and proactively identify the truck crash-prone locations.
Performing a system-wide long truck safety and enforcement study to review safety concerns and address current problematic areas using truck crash data will aid in making the roads safer. Roadway inventory, traffic and crash data were integrated in a GIS framework during this process. Though most OSOW trucks are operated by professional drivers, truck crashes happen frequently. These crashes can be categorized into three areas: 1) inclement weather and pavement conditions; 2) insufficient infrastructure investment; and 3) driver behavioral factors such as the incompliance to traffic rules, fatigue and drowsiness, operational errors, etc. Determining what factors are of biggest concern can be addressed and therefore improve road safety for all users.
