MRIGlobal’s Innovative Analysis Improves Highway Traffic Safety
Highway and traffic safety is a focus of transportation engineering research at MRIGlobal.
MRIGlobal evaluates effectiveness of highway improvement projects for roadway segments, intersections, ramps, interchanges, and railroad-highway grade crossings. MRIGlobal is a national leader in the analysis of relationships between geometric design and highway safety.
Our Capabilities:
- Use of innovative statistical analysis and modeling techniques, including Poisson and negative binomial regression analysis, for evaluating highway safety and highway accident countermeasures
- Conduct before and after evaluations of highway safety improvement projects
- Development of exposure measures based on traffic volume, mileage, and pavement condition, including exposure estimates for wet-pavement and snow-and-ice conditions
- Conduct roadway safety audits
- Work-zone safety management
- Use of traffic conflict evaluations as a surrogate for accident data
MRIGlobal’s Highway and Traffic Safety Successes:
- Predictive models: MRIGlobal statisticians have developed models to predict crash frequency and severity for a variety of roadway and intersection facility types in research for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), and state highway agencies, with innovative statistical approaches to the analysis of traffic crash data.
- Effectiveness evaluation: MRIGlobal statisticians have conducted observational before-after and cross-sectional evaluations of the effectiveness of potential crash countermeasures, including shoulder and centerline rumble strips and pavement edge treatments for resurfacing projects. For the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), MRIGlobal evaluated the safety effectiveness of a statewide striping and delineation program for major highways.
- Technology development and testing: MRIGlobal has performed research on technological advances for the deterrence of speeding, pavement surface materials for increased skid resistance, and durable, all-weather pavement marking materials for longer life and increased retroreflectivity.