Mitigating Safety in Utah Using the Hot Spot Identification and Analysis Methodology

To aid the Utah Department of Transportation in meeting their goal of zero fatalities the Civil and Environmental Engineering and Statistics Departments at Brigham Young University have worked collaboratively in developing analysis tools for safety. The most recent of these tools is the Utah Crash Prediction Model that utilizes hierarchical Bayesian models integrated in a geographic information system framework to analyze safety on roadways. This research focuses on the enhancement of the framework for highway safety mitigation in Utah by developing a methodology for accomplishing the areas of network screening, diagnosis, and countermeasure selection. This methodology, “Hot Spot Identification and Analysis,” consists of seven steps: (1) identify problematic segments with safety concern; (2) identify problem spots within the segments; (3) micro analysis of problematic segments and spots; (4) defining the segment; (5) defining the problem; (6) evaluation of possible countermeasures; and (7) selection and recommendation of feasible countermeasures.