Intersections
Contact Information
Ed Rice
Intersection Team Leader
Ed.Rice@dot.gov
In 2007, there were 41,059 fatalities on our Nation’s roadways. Of these, 8,657 (21 percent) were intersection or intersection related.
An intersection is a planned point of conflict in the roadway system. With different crossing and entering movements by both drivers and pedestrians, an intersection is one of the most complex traffic situations that motorists encounter. Dangers are compounded when we add the element of speeding motorists who disregard traffic controls. Despite improved intersection design and more sophisticated applications of traffic engineering measures, the annual toll of human loss due to motor vehicle crashes has not substantially changed in more than 25 years.
Intersection safety is a national, state and local priority. Intersections represent a disproportionate share of the safety problem. As a result, organizations such as the FHWA, NHTSA, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the American Automobile Association (AAA), and other private and public organizations are devoting resources to help reduce the problem.
