EVALUATION OF SAFETY IMPACT OF HIGHWAY PROJECTS

An empirical Bayesian approach to evaluate the safety impact of highway projects at a group of sites level was developed. Rural traffic accident data from the state of Indiana were used. The Bayesian methodology was illustrated using examples of wedge and level and resurfacing projects. The results indicated that wedge and level and resurfacing activities did not have a significant effect on the level of the expected number of accidents or accident rates at 95% probability level on Indiana's two-lane rural roads having traffic volumes less than 4,000 vehicles per day.