Διάλεξη του Καθηγητή Peter Savolainen του Πανεπιστημίου του Μίτσιγκαν στο ΕΜΠ – 11 Νοεμβρίου 2024
O Peter Savolainen, Καθηγητής του Ιδρύματος Ερευνών και Πρόεδρος του Τμήματος Πολιτικών Μηχανικών και Μηχανικών Περιβάλλοντος του Πανεπιστημίου του Μίτσιγκαν, θα δώσει διάλεξη Δευτέρα 11 Νοεμβρίου 2024 στις 15:30 στο Αμφιθέατρο Σιδηροδρομικής και Μεταφορών του Τομέα Μεταφορών και Συγκοινωνιακής Υποδομής του ΕΜΠ, με τίτλο «Relating Available Stopping Sight Distance to Crash Risks: Insights from NCHRP 15-75”.
Stopping sight distance (SSD) has long been a concern among design engineers, given difficulties in attaining minimum values in certain roadway contexts in consideration of cost constraints. For example, SSD is one of the ten controlling criteria for design and documentation of design exceptions. However, the extant research literature has generally not shown that locations with insufficient SSD experience higher crash risks as compared to locations that meet or exceed recommended design values. This study investigates the relationships between SSD and crash risk using high-fidelity LiDAR data. These data are used to examine crash trends on the roadway network maintained by the Utah Department of Transportation. LiDAR data are used to assess compliance with the current SSD design policy as articulated in A Policy on the Geometric Design of Streets and Highways (i.e., the AASHTO Green Book). These data are integrated with crash and roadway geometric information. A series of count data models are estimated to assess the relationship between available SSD and the frequency of crashes while controlling for other important variables of interest. The results show that roadways with limited sight distance tended to experience significantly more crashes as compared to other similar segments where sight restrictions were not present. The findings from this study provide an empirical basis for estimating the potential impacts of design scenarios where it may be impractical to satisfy the minimum recommendation distance from the AASHTO Green Book. It can also help to inform agency practices and the development of projects to mitigate the sources of the sight distance limitations. Subsequent follow-up research in Michigan will also be briefly discussed.
Speaker Bio:
Peter Savolainen is an MSU Research Foundation Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan State University. Dr. Savolainen’s core research examines the fundamental nature of road user behavior, particularly how traffic safety and operations are influenced by driver behavior. His work has advanced fundamental knowledge as to how roadway design, traffic conditions, environmental factors, and various types of distractions affect the risk of crash involvement.
Dr. Savolainen is an Associate Editor of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems. He also serves on the editorial advisory boards of Accident Analysis and Prevention and Analytic Methods in Accident Research, as well as on the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Standing Committee on Safety Performance and Analysis.