Exploring factors contributing to injury severity at work zones considering adverse weather conditions

Despite recent efforts to improve work zone safety, the frequency and severity of crashes at work zones are still considerably high. The effect of work zones on traffic safety can be exacerbated by adverse weather conditions. As an example, a sudden reduction in visibility may intensify the severity of work zone crashes. There is a lack of studies that strive to gain a good understanding of the effect of weather on the severity of work zone crashes. In this study, an Ordered Probit Model was developed to identify factors affecting the severity of work zone crashes in different spatial, temporal, and environmental conditions in Washington state using five-year of work zone-related crashes (2009–2013). The interesting findings of this study showed that weather and lighting conditions are among the most important factors influencing the severity of crashes at work zones. Lack of daylight was found to be a determining factor in increasing the severity of work zone crashes, specifically, during dusk and dawn. It was also found that although drivers have less severe work zone-related crashes in adverse weather conditions, the interactions between adverse weather conditions and other contributing factors might increase the severity of work zone crashes. The results of this study will help traffic engineers to design effective safety countermeasures considering different contributing factors including the weather and lighting conditions in the work zone planning and installation stages to prevent safety deficiencies.