Intersection Safety

Background and Objectives

Intersection and intersection–related crashes consistently make up a high proportion of total fatal crashes, up to 23 percent. More than 50 percent of the combined fatal and injury crashes occur at intersections. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO's) Strategic Highway Safety Plan identifies "improving the design and operation of highway intersections" as one of its 22 strategies reducing highway deaths and injuries.

The objectives of the Intersection Safety research focus area are to facilitate implementation of shorter–term strategies and define and evaluate longer–term, higher–payoff strategies to improve intersection safety. FHWA will identify the most common and severe problems and compile information on the applications and design of innovative infrastructure configurations and treatments at both signalized and non–signalized intersections and at interchanges. This initial effort should reveal strategic operational and research opportunities to further intersection safety.