Researchers say the built environment may affect the likelihood of a car crash. Does road design play a major role in car accident risk? According to an article in Phys.org, it indeed does, but more research is needed on the subject to determine exactly how. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Florida Atlantic University published a research paper in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention, which studied the relationship between the built environment (or “the road design and adjoining development”) and crash risk on U.S. roads. In order to study this relationship, the authors of the study assessed previous research related to this topic and sought to address some of the inconsistencies that exist in the research.
The following are facts about road design and driver behavior
from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
• Roundabouts are safer alternatives to traffic signals and stop signs because drivers are forced to slow down while driving in a tight circle and are less likely to get into right-angle, left-turn and head-on collisions, which are the most severe types of intersection crashes
• Roads with higher speed limits tend to have more crash fatalities.
• Traffic lights that have adequate and appropriate yellow times lead to lesser instances of red light running and fewer crashes.
If you or someone you love got hurt in a motor vehicle collision, you should learn more about filing a claim by speaking with an attorney at The Noll Law Firm.
