Factors associated with driver injury severity of lane changing crashes involving younger and older drivers

Lane change maneuvers can be a difficult driving task for many drivers, particularly, younger and inexperienced drivers and older drivers. Frequent and improper lane changing has a substantial effect on both traffic operations and safety. This study investigates the factors that contribute to the injury severity of crashes resulting from improper lane change maneuvers involving younger and older drivers in Alabama. Crash data for the study was obtained from the Critical Analysis Reporting Environment (CARE) system developed by the Center for Advanced Public Safety at the University of Alabama. Preliminary data analysis showed that younger drivers were responsible for about 63.1 % of the crashes. Random logit with heterogeneity in means models were developed to identify significant crash factors that were associated with the crash outcomes. The results show that younger male drivers were more likely to be severely injured in lane changing crashes whereas older male drivers were less likely to be severely injured. The results further show that younger drivers were more likely to sustain a major injury on six-lane highways whereas older drivers sustained major injuries from overtaking maneuvers on two-lane highways. It was further found that while younger drivers got into major injury crashes under daylight conditions, older drivers were more likely to be involved in major injury crashes under dark/unlit lighting conditions. Improper lane changing constitutes some form of aggressive driving which needs to be addressed considering that many lives are lost annually from the practice. The findings from this study may be used by road safety advocates and practitioners to identify what and how to target crash countermeasures to the younger and older driver population groups in the state.

Automated summary

Lane change maneuvers are challenging for many drivers, especially younger and older drivers. Improper lane changing can have a substantial impact on traffic operations and safety. This study investigated factors contributing to injury severity in crashes involving improper lane changes by younger and older drivers in Alabama. The findings suggest that younger male drivers are more likely to be severely injured in lane changing crashes, while older male drivers are less likely to be seriously hurt. Additionally, younger drivers are more prone to major injuries on six-lane highways, while older drivers tend to sustain major injuries from overtaking maneuvers on two-lane highways. The study's results provide valuable insights for implementing targeted crash countermeasures for different age groups of drivers in the state.