Identifier

etd-01102008-165432

Degree

Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE)

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Evaluating the safety benefit of a treatment provides information to the future safety projects of our transportation system. Various transportation laws have been amended in the state of Louisiana, aiming to reduce the roadway crash rates. The major traffic laws introduced or amended in the state in the past decade were the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Program in 1998, repealing the mandatory motorcycle helmet law in 1999 and reenacting it in 2004, introducing the open alcohol container laws in 2000, and lowering the per se Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) from 0.10 to 0.08 percent in 2003. A before-and-after analysis was conducted using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to identify the effect of the above traffic laws in reducing crash rates in the state in the presence of other factors influencing crash rates. The dependent variables considered in the analysis were the total, fatal, injury, and property damage only (PDO) crash rates, while the independent variables were all the factors that significantly influence the above dependent variables. The analysis of each law was performed independently for both motor vehicle and motorcycle crash rates, as certain laws are applicable either for crashes due to motor vehicles or motorcycles. At the 5 percent significance level, the results concluded that GDL program was effective in decreasing the young driver motor vehicle injury, PDO and all crash rates; BAC law was effective in decreasing the alcohol-related motorcycle injury, motor vehicle injury, PDO and all crash rates. There was insufficient evidence at 5 percent significance level to prove that GDL program was effective in decreasing the young driver motor vehicle fatality rates; Open container law in decreasing the alcohol-related motor vehicle crash rates at all severity levels; BAC law in decreasing the alcohol-related motorcycle fatal, PDO and all crash rates, and motor vehicle fatality rates; Helmet laws in influencing motorcycle crash rates at all severity levels.

Date

2008

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Chester G. Wilmot

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.1258

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