Traffic Safety
Improving the safety of transportation networks is a key area of research at the Minnesota Traffic Observatory. The MTO’s ability to gather fine-grained data on traffic dynamics has driven significant research into the causes of vehicle crashes and potential countermeasures. In addition to studying crashes and dangerous traffic conditions, the MTO provides support to researchers seeking to understand how the design and construction of road networks affects safety and mobility.
Featured Project: Effect of Signing and Striping on the Safety of a Two-Lane Roundabout
In this project, MTO researchers examined driving behavior and safety before and after signing and striping changes were applied at a two-lane roundabout in Richfield, Minnesota. Researchers analyzed crash records and examined hundreds of hours of video to compare the crash rates and number of violations committed by drivers before and after the changes.
Research Projects
- Implementation of a V2I Highway Safety System and Connected Vehicle Testbed (2014)
- A Positioning and Mapping Methodology Using Bluetooth and Smartphone Technologies to Support Situation Awareness and Wayfinding for the Visually Impaired (2014)
- Development of a Queue Warning System Utilizing ATM Infrastructure: System Development and Field Testing (2014)
- Evaluation of Safety and Mobility of Two-Lane Roundabouts (2014)
- Safety Study of I-35W Improvements Done Under UPA Project (2014)
- Implementation of Traffic Data Quality Verification for Weigh-in-Motion Sites (2013)
- Evaluation of the Effectiveness of ATM Messages Used During Incidents (2013)
- Highway Capacity Manual Unsignalized Crosswalk Level of Service Training (2013)
- Flagger Operations: Investigating their Effectiveness in Capturing Driver Attention (2013)
- Using Smartphone App to Help the Visually Impaired Navigate Work Zones Safely (2012)
- Development of Guidelines for Permitted Left Turn Phasing Using Flashing Yellow Arrows (2012)
- Video Detection and Classification of Pedestrian Events at Roundabouts and Crosswalks (2013)
- Investigation of the Impact the I-94 ATM System has on the Safety of the I-94 Commons High Crash Area (2012)
- Implementation of High Accuracy Radar Detectors for Traffic Safety Countermeasure Evaluation (2012)
- Analysis of the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) 2 Naturalistic Driving Study Data (2012)
- Spatial Cognition of the Blind and Visually Impaired While Using a Mobile Accessible Pedestrian System (MAPS) at Signalized Intersections (2011)
- Effect of Signing and Striping on the Safety of a Two-Lane Roundabout (2011)
- Evaluation of the Effect MnPASS Lane Design has on Mobility and Safety (2011)
- Automate Traffic Data Quality Verification and Sensor Calibration for Weight-In-Motion Systems (2011)
- Expanding and Streamlining the RTMC Freeway Network Performance Reporting Methodologies and Tools (2010)
- Investigation of Pedestrian/Bicyclist Risk in Minnesota Roundabout Crossings (2010)
- Estimating the Crash Reduction and Vehicle Dynamics Effects of Flashing LED Stop Signs (2010)
- Using Detailed Signal and Detector Data to Investigate Intersection Crash Causation (2010)
- Vehicle Probe Based Real-time Traffic Monitoring on Urban Roadway Networks (2009)
- Access to Destinations: Streamlining the Arterial Data Acquisition and the Estimation of Network-wide Travel Link Times (2009)
- Bus Signal Priority Based on GPS and Wireless Communications (Phase III) - Bus to Roadside Infrastructure Communications Framework for Intelligent Transit Applications (2008)
- Access to Destinations: Arterial Data Acquisition and Network- Wide Travel Time Estimation (Phase II) (2007)
- TH-36 Full Closure Construction: Evaluation of Traffic Operations Alternatives (2007)
- Development of Analysis Methods Using Recent Data (2007)
- Automatic Safety Alert System for Work Zones with Flag Operators (2007)
- Cross-Median Crashes-Identifications and Countermeasures (2006)
- Development of Real-Time Traffic Adaptive Crash Reduction Measures for the Westbound I-94/35W Commons Section (2005)
- Enhanced Micro-Simulation Models for Accurate Safety Assessment (2005)
- Identification of Causal Factors and Potential Countermeasures for Fatal Rural Crashes (2003)
- Accident Prevention Based on Automatic Detection of Accident Prone Traffic Conditions Phase I (2002)
- Identification and Simulation of Common Freeway Accident Mechanisms (2002)
- A Case Controlled Study of Driving Speed and Crash Risk (2000)
- Development of a Vehicle/Pedestrian Collision Model to Support Neighborhood Traffic Control (1998)
- Impact of Traffic Safety Improvements (1996)
- Identification of Factors Affecting Freeway Accidents (1994)