1. Precipitation and Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes: Continental Analysis with High-Resolution Radar Data.
- Author
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Stevens, Scott E., Schreck III, Carl J., Saha, Shubhayu, Bell, Jesse E., and Kunkel, Kenneth E.
- Subjects
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TRAFFIC accidents , *METEOROLOGICAL precipitation , *MOTOR vehicle driving , *RADAR , *MOTOR vehicles - Abstract
Motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of accidental death in the United States, and weather is frequently cited as a contributing factor in fatal crashes. Previous studies have investigated the link between these crashes and precipitation typically using station-based observations that, while providing a good estimate of the prevailing conditions on a given day or hour, often fail to capture the conditions present at the actual time and location of a crash. Using a multiyear, high-resolution radar reanalysis and information on 125,012 fatal crashes spanning the entire continental United States over a 6-yr period, we find that the overall risk of a fatal crash increases by approximately 34% during active precipitation. The risk is significant in all regions of the continental United States, and it is highest during the morning rush hour and during the winter months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
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