title: Mixed logit model-based driver injury severity investigations in single- and multi-vehicle crashes on rural two-lane highways.
abstract: Crashes occurring on rural two-lane highways are more likely to result in severe driver incapacitating injuries and fatalities. In this study, mixed logit models are developed to analyze driver injury severities in single-vehicle (SV) and multi-vehicle (MV) crashes on rural two-lane highways in New Mexico from 2010 to 2011. A series of significant contributing factors in terms of driver behavior, weather conditions, environmental characteristics, roadway geometric features and traffic compositions, are identified and their impacts on injury severities are quantified for these two types of crashes, respectively. Elasticity analyses and transferability tests were conducted to better understand the models' specification and generality. The research findings indicate that there are significant differences in causal attributes determining driver injury severities between SV and MV crashes. For example, more severe driver injuries and fatalities can be observed in MV crashes when motorcycles or trucks are involved. Dark lighting conditions and dusty weather conditions are found to significantly increase MV crash injury severities. However, SV crashes demonstrate different characteristics influencing driver injury severities. For example, the probability of having severe injury outcomes is higher when vans are identified in SV crashes. Drivers' overtaking actions will significantly increase SV crash injury severities. Although some common attributes, such as alcohol impaired driving, are significant in both SV and MV crash severity models, their effects on different injury outcomes vary substantially. This study provides a better understanding of similarities and differences in significant contributing factors and their impacts on driver injury severities between SV and MV crashes on rural two-lane highways. It is also helpful to develop cost-effective solutions or appropriate injury prevention strategies for rural SV and MV crashes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, University of New Mexico, MSC01 1070, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States. Electronic address: wuqiong1034@unm.edu.
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Road and Traffic Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Tongji University, 4800 Cao'an Road, Shanghai 201804, China. Electronic address: chenfeng.csu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, University of New Mexico, MSC01 1070, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States. Electronic address: guohui@unm.edu.
authors.forename: Guohui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Utah, 110 Central Campus Drive, 2137 MCE, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States. Electronic address: cathy.liu@utah.edu.
authors.forename: Xiaoyue Cathy
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Transportation Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 73 Huanghe Rd., NanGang Dist., Harbin 150090, China. Electronic address: wanghua@hit.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, University of New Mexico, MSC01 1070, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States. Electronic address: sbogus@unm.edu.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bogus
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology; D004779:Environment Design / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008029:Lighting / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009516:New Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014887:Weather; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Injury severity; Mixed logit model; Rural two-lane highway; Transferability