Impact of pavement condition on rural road accidents

Abstract

Because of limited resources and inappropriate maintenance technique, many rural roads in developing countries such as Jordan are characterized by a high level of roughness. Empirical evidence and accident reports revealed that many rural road accidents are associated with severe road defects. This study investigated the effect of pavement condition, road geometry, and roadside conditions on rural road accidents. A comprehensive data base for 1130 km of two-lane primary rural roads in Jordan was developed for this study. Mathematical modelling using regression technique was used to investigate the effects of the included variables on single-vehicle, multiple-vehicle, and total accident rates. Results of the statistical analysis indicated that pavement condition, expressed in terms of the international roughness index or present serviceability rating, had significant effects on single- and multiple-vehicle accident rates, but it had no statistical influence on the total accident rate. Furthermore, the results of this study indicated that the number of sharp horizontal curves and the roadside condition, expressed in terms of the roadside hazard rating, were found to have significant effects on the single-vehicle accident rate. The number of vertical curves and the number of intersections were found to have a significant influence on the multiple-vehicle accidents. Finally, regression models were developed to quantify the effects of the included variables on the previous accident rates.