Intersections

Crashes are twice as likely to occur at intersections where there is a signal compared to those with no controls (no signs nor signals) at all.

The statistics argue strongly for some kind of system beyond traditional signal lights and arrows that will support the driver's decision when to execute the maneuver, which is the basis for the Intersection Decision Support (IDS) project, launched in 2002 by the Federal Highway Administration and Caltrans. Researchers affiliated with ITS Berkeley, PATH, and the Traffic Safety Center (TSC) have been working over the last five years to make situations like these safer by developing intelligent warning and detection systems that could aid drivers in these circumstances.

While the hazardousness of intersections makes intuitive sense, given the increased likelihood of conflicts between vehicles wherever they have the potential to cross paths, much remains to be understood about the finer details of these crashes. Traffic Safety Center researchers undertook a closer examination of the phenomenon and created a more detailed taxonomy of these crashes, building on earlier work. That enabled them to match up details like type of intersection, type of crash, nature of the signals or signage, posted speed limit, and age and gender of the driver. They then analyzed the data to guide suggestions for potential countermeasures using intelligent technologies.

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