Truck Accidents And Single-Unit Trucks Account For About 10 Percent Of Beltway Traffic

WA DOT, Jan 28, 2005

Trucks -- tractor-trailers and single-unit trucks account for about 10 percent of beltway traffic, but they are involved in about 20 percent of the crashes. More than half (51 percent) of crashes involving tractor-trailers are sideswipe/cutoff crashes. Location and familiarity with the roadway play major roles in tractor-trailer crashes.

About 70 percent occur on the I-95 section of the beltway. Only 34 percent of tractor-trailer drivers are based in the Virginia-Maryland-District of Columbia area as compared to 86 percent of other vehicle drivers.

Fatal crashes A comparison of fatal crashes on the Capital Beltway to fatal crashes on 20 major metropolitan beltways revealed that the Capital Beltway has:

More rear-end crashes, but much fewer head-on rashes (1 percent vs. 8 percent). werlcohol-related crashes (11 percent vs. 25 percent).More tractor-trailer crashes (18 percent vs. 9 percent).

Aerial Surveys
The Washington Council of Governments (COG) Transportation Planning Board supported the Capital Beltway Safety Team by sponsoring two aerial survey programs. One focused on peak-period, recurring congestion and the other concentrated on nonrecurring, incident-related congestion.

Aerial photos taken during the morning and afternoon peak periods identified the locations and nature of recurring congestion. The Safety Team has started to link congestion information to crash analysis results.

The aerial survey of nonrecurring, incident-related congestion is part of COG's ongoing freeway congestion monitoring program. Photographs of congestion relating to incidents at several time intervals will provide insight into how congestion builds up and dissipates.

About half of the surveyed incidents on the beltway had a secondary incident in the backup caused by the primary incident. This points to the need to improve incident response time to reduce delay, related congestion, and secondary incidents.

Implementing Priority Actions Ongoing actions By the September press conference, several actions had already been initiated by team members. Some of these actions are:
Maryland and Virginia conduct late night patrols to target drivers who speed, tailgate, or park illegally on the shoulders of the beltway.
Maryland and Virginia have several programs, projects, or practices that target speeding and mechanically unsafe trucks.

A special nine-member, multidisciplinary crash team now investigates major beltway crashes. Trucks are prohibited from using the left lane for the entire length of the beltway.
 
Maryland and Virginia instituted a free, #77 cellular phone service so motorists can report disabled vehicles and other nonemergency traffic disruptions.
 
The beltway safety jurisdictions now coordinate and cooperate much more closely on all aspects of beltway safety and operations. A quarterly newsletter is distributed to more the 800 national, state, and local legislators; members of public and private organizations; and citizens concerned about beltway issues.

Safety team's 13 action items A highlight of the September Safety Update event was the announcement of the Capital Beltway Safety Team's 13 priority actions. Six of the actions target improving drivers' behavior, and six are engineering improvements.

One action item focuses on sustaining this safety effort. Some of the action items have been adopted -- partial funding is available and implementation has begun. Others are under development -- necessary steps toward implementation are being identified.

The 13 action items are:
1.Increase Enforcement (under development). Maryland and Virginia should increase enforcement to control speeding and aggressive driver behavior.

2.Increase Points and Fines (under development). Maryland and Virginia should reevaluate their point and fine systems. Raising points and fines will bring them to current levels in surrounding states.

3.Implement "Drive to Survive Together" (adopted). MDSHA and VDOT will implement "Drive to Survive Together," a program to improve driver performance and behavior.

4.Implement the Automated Speed Monitoring and Warning Program (under development). More efficient and cost-effective traffic-monitoring techniques are needed because traditional methods are inadequate.

5.Provide Enforcement Areas (under development). Maryland and Virginia will identify as many as four sites in each state to provide additional areas along the beltway for enforcement and accident investigation activities.

6.Enhance Work Zone Safety (adopted). Problems associated with construction are congestion caused by lane closures and speeding when traffic flows freely. To control speeding, radar and variable message signs will warn drivers of their speeds and the fines associated with them.

7.Improve Interchange Operations (under development). The Maryland-Virginia Design Team has developed three possible options to address this problem. Before constructing any of the options at specific locations, computer simulation, evaluation, and comparison will be completed, along with a crash analysis.

8.Improve Highway Signing (adopted). A bi-state team on signing examined existing signs for message content, quality of material, letter size, and the use of overhead guide signs. This study identified the need for uniformity, a review of all nonessential messages, and a systematic program for sign replacement. The team is pursuing ways to improve accurate real-time information on variable message signs.

9.Implement Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Strategies (adopted). Implement the latest ITS strategies and devices to improve operations, increase vehicle safety, and lessen congestion.

10.Expand Regional Incident Response Training (adopted). Develop regional, incident response training for highway, police, and fire and rescue personnel.

11.Enhance Pavement Markings and Other Delineations (adopted). Maryland and Virginia will use high-quality material (thermoplastic quality or better) to ensure uniform markings for ramp, weave, merge, and acceleration/deceleration areas.

12.Upgrade Beltway Lighting (adopted). Virginia and Maryland are addressing the definite need for additional lights as well as upgrading existing equipment.

13.Sustain High-Level Focus on Safety Through Cooperation and Interaction (adopted). The partners in the Capital Beltway safety effort will continue to conduct a multijurisdictional, regionally coordinated approach to problem solving.