Publication Year:
Original publication: Reducing Late-Night/Early Morning Intersection Crashes by Providing Lighting (FHWA-SA-09-017) (PDF, 467kB)
More than 40 percent of intersection fatalities occur during late-night/early-morning hours. Further, the crash fatality rate during the late-night/early-morning hours is as much as three times greater than during the day (Traffic Safety Facts, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2008). Minnesota and Kentucky were concerned about the high number of crashes at some of their intersections during late-night/early-morning hours.
Recognizing that poor visibility at intersections during late-night/early-morning hours can cause crashes, the States of Minnesota and Kentucky installed lighting at 55 intersections experiencing a high incidence of crashes.
Source: Photo by April Armstrong (used with permission)
Key Accomplishments
As the states' experience demonstrates, providing lighting can effectively improve safety and reduce traffic crashes and their resulting injuries and/or fatalities during late-night/early-morning hours.
Results
The enhanced countermeasure reduced overall late-night/early-morning crashes across these intersections by a weighted average of 35 percent.
Contact
Susan Zarling
Office of Traffic Safety
Minnesota Department of Transportation
susan.zarling@state.mn.us