This study investigated the characteristics of the nighttime crashes at freeway mainline segments and the contributing factors to injury levels. The nighttime crash rate is 1.6 times more than daytime..
This study investigated the characteristics of the nighttime crashes at freeway mainline segments and the contributing factors to injury levels. The nighttime crash rate is 1.6 times more than daytime and the fatality rate is higher. In this study five injury levels, no injury, possible injury, non-incapacitating injury, capacitating injury, and fatal injury, were considered. Crash data (2005-2010) were collected for interstate highways in Florida. The no injury level was used as the baseline. Multinomial logit model (MNL) was selected to estimate the explanatory variables at 95% confidence. Contributing factors included driver-conditions, geometric-conditions, vehicle-conditions, crash-conditions, and environmental-conditions. This study concluded that safety equipment reduces crashes, alcohol, drugs and young drivers increase the likelihood of severe crashes.
