Developing a tool to help highway patrol in allocating resources to crashes
| DOI | 10.1177/1461355716665855 |
| Published date | 01 December 2016 |
| Author | M Mahdi Rezapour Mashhadi,Trenna T Terrill,Khaled Ksaibati |
| Date | 01 December 2016 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
International Journal of
Police Science & Management
Developing a tool to help highway patrol
2016, Vol. 18(4) 231–241
ª The Author(s) 2016
in allocating resources to crashes
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DOI: 10.1177/1461355716665855
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Trenna T Terrill
Wyoming Technology Transfer Center, WY, USA
M Mahdi Rezapour Mashhadi
Wyoming Technology Transfer Center, WY, USA
Khaled Ksaibati
Wyoming Technology Transfer Center, WY, USA
Abstract
In recent years, the United States has experienced significant growth in the amount of freight transported by truck, and
this is expected to increase in future. Collisions involving trucks have some of the greatest ramifications and are associated
with economic and societal costs. The state of Wyoming has one of the highest rates of crashes involving trucks in the
country. The Wyoming Highway Patrol puts a substantial amount of its resources into enforcing commercial vehicle
inspections and traffic laws in the state. Because of the heavy truck traffic on Interstate 80 (I-80), the much of the
Wyoming Highway Patrol’s resources are utilized in patrolling and performing inspections there. Because of this
intensive truck corridor, the Wyoming Highway Patrol may not be focusing resources on other locations throughout
the state. The Wyoming Department of Transportation and the Wyoming Highway Patrol jointly selected three zones
throughout the state of Wyoming based on high truck traffic areas. Historical statewide crash data and statewide citations
issued by the Wyoming Highway Patrol in these zones are analyzed in this study. The relationship between the numbers of
citations issued along the studied route and the number of crashes that occurred is investigated in this article. Statistical
analysis using ordinal least squares on I25 indicates that, on a monthly scale, the number of citations is a preventive
measure for the number of crashes. Spatial temporal analysis on I25 showed that although Wyoming Highway Patrol
resources are allocated to locations with the greatest number of crashes, it needs to allocate more resources on I25 north
between midnight and 6 a.m. This study provides the Wyoming Highway Patrol with information regarding where more
enforcement may be needed within other areas in the state of Wyoming.
Keywords
Traffic safety, citation, allocating resources, traffic crash, highway patrol, ordinary least square
Submitted 23 Mar 2016, accepted 03 Aug 2016
Introduction
increased oil and gas production activities in the state
(Weber and Murray, 2014). Since the 1970s, large trucks
Wyoming transportation officials have been looking for
have accounted for 13% of all traffic-related fatal crashes in
opportunities to reduce the incidence of fatal crashes and
the number of people seriously injured on Wyoming roads.
Along with high general crash rates, Wyoming also has one
Corresponding author:
of the highest truck crash rates in the country, which might
M Mahdi Rezapour Mashhadi, Wyoming Technology Transfer Center,
be due to the significant amount of through truck traffic on
1000 E. University Avenue, Department 3295, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.
Interstate 80 (I80) and I25, adverse weather conditions, and
Email: mrezapou@uwyo.edu
232
International Journal of Police Science & Management 18(4)
the United States (Moonesinghe et al., 2003). Crashes
Table 1. Large truck crashes per MVMT (Weber and
involving trucks tend to have the greatest repercussions,
Murray, 2014).
and Wyoming is hit hard by extensive property damage,
Crash rates
loss of goods, and costs due to the number of crashes taking
place on its roads (Franke et al., 2014). The estimated costs
Top 10
of crashes involving large trucks in the United States per
Rank
State
Crashes/MVMT
1000 truck miles are $157.00 for single-unit trucks,
$131.00 for single-combination trucks, and $63.00 for mul-
1
Wyoming
0.52
tiple combination trucks (Zaloshnja and Miller, 2004).
2
New Jersey
0.48
These factors have led to the Wyoming Highway Patrol
3
Kansas
0.41
(WHP) spending significant resources on the inspection of
4
Colorado
0.40
commercial vehicles and the enforcement of traffic laws
5
Virginia
0.39
6
Montana
0.37
within the state. Because the heaviest truck traffic is along
7
Kentucky
0.35
I80, the WHP has allocated the majority of its resources to
8
Minnesota
0.34
patrolling and performing inspections there. Based on
9
Iowa
0.32
workload and observations, the WHP may not be addres-
10
Michigan
0.31
sing all factors involved with large truck crashes, and high
National average
0.26
crash rates throughout the rest of the state. This study
Bottom 10
addresses possible problem locations with high truck traffic
39
Washington
0.20
40
South Dakota
0.19
to determine whether an increase in enforcement is needed
41
Georgia
0.19
in specific areas.
42
Oregon
0.18
43
Idaho
0.16
44
Pennsylvania
0.16
Background
45
Mississippi
0.14
The United States relies heavily upon the trucking indus-
46
Florida
0.12
try for the movement of many different goods. Higher
47
Utah
0.11
48
New Mexico
0.08
volumes of truck traffic increase the likelihood of crashes
occurring. It is estimated that overall freight tonnage will
grow by 23.5% between 2013 and 2025, and truckload
volume will grow by 3.5% a year to 2019 (American
Tracking Associations [ATA], 2013). Wyoming is experi-
encing a spike in activity in the oil and gas industries and
truck traffic will only continue to grow within the state
over the next 20 years. In 2013, an estimated 95,000 peo-
ple were injured in crashes involving large trucks
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2012)
and it has become a priority for transportation agencies to
investigate ways that allow the occupants of commercial
and other vehicles to travel safely on the same roads.
There has been little research on the effectiveness of law
Figure 1. Minnesota crash factors and violations (Weber and
enforcement efforts on crash trends. One study performed
Murray, 2014).
by the American Transportation Institute evaluated the
impact of commercial vehicle enforcement disparities on
crash data did not necessarily reflect this, as shown in Fig-
carrier performance factors. The study showed that Wyom-
ure 1. For example, speeding violations accounted for
ing had the highest number of heavy truck crashes per
36.4% of citations in Minnesota but only 7.2% of crashes
million vehicle miles travelled (MVMT) in the country.
were related to speeding; and although 10.1% of truck
In addition, Wyoming was in the bottom 10 states with the
crashes were related to an improper lane change, only
lowest budget contributions to enforcement (Weber and
1.8% of citations were issued for this violation (Weber and
Murray, 2014). This information is displayed in Table 1.
Murray, 2014).
Variations in citations issued and inspections performed
Another study compared enforcement activities between
occur across the United States. Many of the enforcement
Wyoming and North Dakota (Andreen et al., 2012). The
objectives are developed individually by each state. In
study recommended that different enforcement techniques
many instances, the numbers of citations were high, but the
are necessary due to the different needs of each state. The
Terrill et al.
233
Objectives
20000
18000
The objectives of this article are to:
16000
14000
explore the relationship between historical crash data
12000
10000
and the number of citations given along specified routes
Violations 8000
with high levels of truck traffic in Wyoming; and
6000
discover locations where the WHP may need to allo-
4000
Total Motor Carrier Driver Violations Wyoming
cate more of its resources to enhance safety where
2000
Total Motor Carrier Driver Violations North Dakota
0
crash rates are high.
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010
Year
Figure 2. Motor carrier violations in Wyoming and North
Data analysis
Dakota (Andreen et al., 2012).
In order to identify a relationship between the frequency of
crashes and enforcement levels used in the state of Wyom-
study concluded that WHP is doing an excellent job with
ing, an analysis on crashes and citations must be conducted.
the resources it has and the large area that it covers.
The preliminary analysis consisted of collecting statewide
Wyoming spends more time on truck inspections and
crash data over a 10-year period, and statewide citation data
issues more motor carrier citations because of the large
over a 1-year period. The number of WHP sworn officers
amount of truck traffic along I80, which consumes much
was constant between 2005 and 2015. Therefore, the cita-
of their enforcement resources. No other corridor com-
tion level observed in 2011 can be used to represent
pares with the amount of truck traffic that Wyoming has
enforcement level for the 2005–2015 period. The only cita-
to inspect and deal with on a daily basis. The number of
tion data available to this research were over a 1-year
motor carrier violations compared with North Dakota is
period. The Wyoming Department of Transportation
presented in Figure 2. Because I80 consumes so much
(WYDOT) and the WHP jointly identified three separate
of the enforcement, the study recommended that
zones throughout the state for analysis. The routes were
WHP increase the numbers of officers and personnel
selected based on heavy truck volumes, heavy usage
in order to help with the enforcement and...
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