Traffic Safety: Active Projects

ťActive Projects

Description:

The Mountain Highway Corridor (State Route 7) is approximately 11.8 miles in length (mile post 36.08 to 47.83), extending from the intersection with SR 702 north to the intersection of 184th Street South.

The average vehicle traffic load ranges from approximately 5,100 to 41,00 vehicles per day.

458 collisions occurred during the period between January 2000 and December 2002.

Approximately five and a half percent (5.5%) of all these collisions involved fatal or disabling injuries and twelve percent (12%) were alcohol related.

Sixteen to twenty year-olds were over represented in collisions on the corridor.

The majority of crashes occur during the daylight hours (68%) and during clear weather (61%) and dry roadway conditions (65%).

The months of November and December had the highest number of collisions. The month of September had the lowest number of crashes.

Crashes were fairly evenly distributed during the week with Monday having the lowest number of crashes and Saturday the highest. Friday had the highest number of fatal/disabling crashes.

The peak hour for crashes is between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM.

Significant Characteristics of Crashes:

Rear-end, Angle, Driveway-Related and Hit Fixed Object are the leading types of collisions.

Angle is the leading type of fatal and disabling injury collision.

Exceeding Safe Speed, Failing to Yield, Following Too Close, and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol are the leading contributing causes of collisions.

Exceeding Safe Speed crashes occur at a rate 9% higher than on similar highways in the region.

Failing to Yield crashes occur at a rate 38% higher than on similar highways in the region.

Driving Under the Influence crashes occur at a rate 86% higher than on similar highways in the region.
Hit Pedestrian crashes occur at a rate of 133% higher than on similar highways in the region.

Failing to Yield is the leading contributing cause of fatal and disabling crashes at a rate of 51% higher than on similar highways in the region and a rate of 64% higher than on highways statewide.