CRASH aids crash reduction

Announcing a decrease in traffic fatalities in Tennessee, US, earlier this year, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security indicated preliminary figures of 988 traffic fatalities in 2013, a 2.7 per cent decrease compared to 2012, when there were 1,015 traffic fatalities. At the same time, Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Colonel Tracy Trott said: “In 2014, we will employ a predictive analytics model to look even more closely at where traffic crashes are most likely to occur and deploy our res
August 6, 2014 Read time: 2 mins

Announcing a decrease in traffic fatalities in Tennessee, US, earlier this year, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security  indicated preliminary figures of 988 traffic fatalities in 2013, a 2.7 per cent decrease compared to 2012, when there were 1,015 traffic fatalities.

At the same time, Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Colonel Tracy Trott said: “In 2014, we will employ a predictive analytics model to look even more closely at where traffic crashes are most likely to occur and deploy our resources, both in educational efforts and enforcement. We hope that this new tool will help reduce serious injury and fatal crashes across the state.”

Since then, the THP has been making use of a new predictive analytics program, which the department is calling Crash Reduction Analysing Statistical History, or CRASH. It looks at the Tennessee road network in segments of 30 square m iles; then within those segments, it estimates traffic risks in four-hour increments. While it’s too soon to tell exactly how effective the technology has been, THP reports that traffic fatalities are 5.5 per cent lower now than this time in 2013.

THP can program in any number of factors that can impact traffic, from local events to weather patterns and historic crash data and CRASH will determine which factors are most relevant in a given segment.
 
According to THP, CRASH has had an accuracy rate of approximately 72 per cent. Using this information, THP has been able to deploy officers more efficiently, allowing them to either prevent accidents or reach the scene more quickly.
 
The CRASH program cost $243,000 and was funded by federal grants through the Governors Highway Safety Office, according to the THP.

THP has also deployed a predictive analytics model aimed at predicting where and when drivers who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be on the road. One of the factors that program considers is the location of places that sell alcohol.

Related Content

  • Study finds rumble strips save lives on rural highways
    June 2, 2015
    A recently completed study shows that rumble strips are proving to be an effective and low-cost way to reduce crashes on Michigan's state highways. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) started a major rumble strip program for two-lane high-speed rural highways in 2008. Centre-line and shoulder rumble strips were installed on all MDOT rural, non-freeway highways with posted speed limits of 55 mph and appropriate paved lane and shoulder widths. To date, 5,700 miles of centre-line rumble strips
    Read More
  • Interactive map reveals the UK’s riskiest roads
    November 20, 2018
    The A254 between the junction with A28 in Margate and the junction with the A255 near Ramsgate is the UK’s riskiest road, according to an interactive Dangerous Road Map. There were 26 fatal and serious crashes per billion vehicle kilometres on this road, say motor insurer Ageas and the Road Safety Foundation (RSF). Both organisations are now calling on an immediate investment from the UK government of £75 million, and the same amount annually for five years thereafter to improve the country’s riskiest
    Read More
  • Orange County red light crashes decrease
    October 7, 2014
    Red-light safety cameras are reducing traffic dangers in Orange County, Florida, according to a recent program update presented to the Board of County Commissioners that showed drivers are stopping on red and crashes are diminishing. The presentation from the Traffic Engineering Division of the county's Public Works Department included two years of red-light camera program data (July 2011 to June 2013) from the annual reports submitted to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which
    Read More
  • Speed limits: is 20 really plenty?
    June 16, 2020
    Speed kills – which means cutting speed should cut collisions. But is it that simple?
    Read More

Highlighted Content