This article describes a study that identifies influencing factors that can be considered to relieve the severity of crashes occurring at rural horizontal curves in Maine. Temporal variables of nighttime, weekend, and winter, crash variables of harsh weather, icy road surface, dusk, heavy vehicle, absence of curve warning signs, oversize load, speeding, distracted driving, larger annual average daily traffic, reducing number of lanes, narrow shoulders, and driver characteristics of female, elderly, driving under the influence, and failure of seatbelt usage are factors that are more likely to increase the crash severity. The method and calculated odds ratio provide an opportunity for the state department of transportation (DOT) and traffic agencies to proactively identify locations that are prone to such issues. Meanwhile, results can help them prioritize critical factors, providing safety treatments or education programs so that the crash severity can be reduced.

Xue, C., & Xu, D. (2019). Factors Influencing Crash Severity at Rural Horizontal Curves in Maine. ITE Journal, 89(5). https://trid.trb.org/view/1604614