Date of Award

Spring 2000

Document Type

Thesis - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

First Advisor

Drakopoulos, Alexander

Second Advisor

Sonntag, Ronald

Third Advisor

Kuemmel, David

Abstract

A number of national- and state-level agencies have expressed great concern over freeway traffic safety and incident-induced delays, and have endorsed them as high priorities in their agendas. This study examines the characteristics of emergency services responses to freeway incidents using data collected from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the Milwaukee County Sheriff Department, the Milwaukee County Emergency Medical Services, Bell Ambulance Co., and the Midwestern Climate Center. Linking data from these sources provided the opportunity for an in-depth analysis of the frequency and nature of traffic incidents occurring on Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, freeways, the most heavily traveled roadways in the State of Wisconsin. Emphasis was placed on the time sequence of events set in motion when an incident occurs, and the factors influencing the timing of these events. Findings from this study and the emergency services response database produced through the study will be a resource for local emergency services managers and State Departments of Transportation charged with responding to freeway incidents, when they review their performance, and set plans to improve service to the motoring public. One-fifth of the incidents along the 'East-West' portion of Interstate 94 (I-94) involved crashes. Crashes occurring on the I-94 corridor required the attention of emergency services at the scene for 55 minutes, on average. Emergency services spent the longest time at the scene of crashes that occurred during off-peak weekend hours (63 min.) and the shortest (45 min.) at the scene of those that occurred during AM peak hours. Lower numbers of crashes occurred on weekends, (Sundays had the fewest crashes-10%), however these crashes were more likely to be more serious (Saturdays had the highest percentage of fatal crashes-23%-of any day of the week). Most crashes occurred in the winter (28%), but winter crashes were less likely to involve an injury. Most crashes were reported between 5:00 pm and 6:00pm. Every third crash on Milwaukee freeways involved an injury and every third injury crash required Emergency Medical Services (EMS) transport. The probability of an injury increased with increasing number of involved vehicles (27% for single-vehicle, 67% for five-vehicle crashes), however, most fatal crashes .(42%) involved a single vehicle.

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