INFLUENCE OF VEHICLE AND PAVEMENT FACTORS ON WET-PAVEMENT ACCIDENTS

FIVE VARIABLES BELIEVED TO BE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRICTION AVAILABLE AT THE TIRE-PAVEMENT INTERFACE WERE ANALYZED BY STUDYING 501 WET-WEATHER VEHICULAR ACCIDENTS. TIRE PRESSURES AD TREND DEPTHS WERE OBTAINED FROM THE ACCIDENT VEHICLES, VEHICULAR SPEED FROM THE INVESTIGATING OFFICER'S REPORT, AND FRICTION AND MACROTEXTURE FROM THE PAVEMENT SURFACE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE LACK OF PAVEMENT TEXTURE, LOW PAVEMENT FRICTION, HIGH VEHICLE SPEED, WORN TIRES, AND LARGE VEHICLE TIRE PRESSURES ALL CONTRIBUTE TO ACCIDENTS OCCURRING ON WET PAVEMENT. THE ACCIDENTS WERE ALSO CATEGORIZED INTO SEVERAL TYPES, AND IT WAS FOUND THAT THE VARIABLES ARE EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT FOR CERTAIN ACCIDENT TYPES. STUDIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TOWARD CORNERING FRICTION BECAUSE SOME 40 PERCENT OF THE ACCIDENTS INVOLVED A TURNING MANEUVER. /AUTHOR/