Injury severity and total harm in truck-involved work zone crashes

Society pays a high cost for work zone crashes in terms of operational disruptions, property damage, injuries, and loss of life. Given narrow lanes in work zones, large trucks are of particular concern. Truck-involved collisions in work zones, as opposed to non-truck-involved collisions in North Carolina, are empirically examined. This examination helps in understanding which work zone attributes are empirically associated with the most seriously injured occupant and total harm in a crash. Specifically, with a unique data set, effects of the following variables were explored: type of work zone, presence of warning signs and cones, type of activity in the work zone, location of the crash in the work zone, and construction impact of the work zone on the roadway. The results show that work zone crashes in North Carolina, especially those involving large trucks, were more injurious than were non-work zone crashes. Rigorous modeling results suggest that truck-involved multivehicle crashes were most injurious and harmful when (a) they occurred on two-way undivided or twoway divided but unprotected (without a median barrier) roadways; (b) the roadway was closed and a detour was required on the opposite side; (c) they occurred adjacent to the work area; and (d) the posted speed limits were higher. The results provide valuable information on high-risk factors in work zones.